Using synthetic photos to raise funds and abusing AI will only harm the charity industry | Beijing News Quick Review

▲AI-synthesized pictures and related donation pages that have attracted attention. Picture/Network platform screenshot

Artificial intelligence (AI) applications are causing controversy again.

According to media reports, a charity organization in Chengdu used photos synthesized by AI technology in its online crowdfunding page. After verification by the civil affairs department, the organization made corresponding rectifications.

The charity organization claimed in an interview with the media that they used composite photos to protect the privacy of the recipients. However, many details in media reports make it difficult to believe that this explanation is true.

It should be noted that the use of composite photos and descriptive text in this fundraising project forms a matching relationship. For example, a screenshot disclosed by the media shows that there is clear and detailed description text below the composite photo, such as "Grandma Zhou, who is in her 80s, takes care of her paralyzed partner" and so on.

When composite photos are not labeled, the way the image and text are combined may mislead readers. This is not just a matter of improper use of composite photos, but also suspected use of composite photos to mislead fundraisers.

In fact, in order to protect privacy, technical processing of real photos is a feasible option without the need to synthesize fake close-ups of people.

As a result, the deeply confusing explanations and misleading implications have made the public more suspicious of the authenticity of this fundraiser.

In terms of motivation, improving communication effectiveness is crucial for many charity fundraisers. In fact, many successful philanthropic success stories depend on mass communication.

For example, the classic case of "Girl with Big Eyes" in the history of my country's public welfare, while successfully impressing the public, also successfully aroused society's attention to the issue of school aid for girls.

Using a variety of communication technologies to increase the visibility of charity fundraising activities has always been the core operational goal of many charitable organizations.

If you compare similar fundraising projects of other public welfare organizations and crowdfunding platforms, the quality of the photos generated by AI through imitation training of classic close-up photos is obviously better than the photos provided by ordinary people.

Low production costs, coupled with high image quality, and the improved communication effect brought about by the combination of the two, may be the main reason why this charity organization takes risks and violates the authenticity of the charity to use synthetic photos.

Currently, using AI to improve the efficiency and quality of content production on a large scale has become an application solution widely considered by many individuals, companies and organizations with communication needs.

However, compared with normal applications such as commercial posters and content videos, charity application AI still needs to be extremely cautious as a communication effect improvement tool. Even in the current situation where clear norms and social consensus have not been formed, the use of AI should be actively refused. technology.

This is because authenticity is the lifeline of the charity industry. Once there are any flaws in the authenticity of charity, it will not only arouse public doubts, but also have a backlash against the overall credibility of the charity industry and even society.

Charity relies on the mutual love of the public, and public love needs to be based on authenticity, and its requirements for authenticity are much higher than those of ordinary industries.

The relationship and boundaries between AI technology and false information have still not been properly resolved at the social level. Therefore, the public has always had high concerns about content generated by new technologies such as composite photos.

In other words, when people see articles, photos, and videos produced by AI, they will instinctively feel that they are unreal or even "cheated." Under this circumstance, applying AI technology to improve the efficiency of the charity industry is undoubtedly counterproductive.

Therefore, in the face of controversial new technologies, charity may be slower to follow. Before society has clearly divided and stipulated AI content, it is best not to use AI to produce related materials.

If it must be used, it should be fully open and transparent to avoid public concerns about the AI ​​technology itself from turning into doubts about the charity industry, thereby harming social and public interests.

Written by Malvin (media person)

Editor / He Rui

Proofreading / Li Lijun

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