Staying vigilant in the Age of AI: From content generation to content authentication

Abstract: This paper presents the Yangtze Sea project, an initiative in the battle against Generative AI (GAI)-generated fake con-tent. Addressing a pressing issue in the digital age, we investigate public reactions to AI-created fabrications through a structured experiment on a simulated academic conference platform. Our findings indicate a profound public challenge in discerning such content, highlighted by GAI's capacity for realistic fabrications. To counter this, we introduce an innovative approach employing LLMs like ChatGPT for truthfulness assess-ment. We detail a specific workflow for scrutinizing the authenticity of everyday digital content, aimed at boosting public awareness and capability in identifying fake mate-rials. We apply this workflow to an agent bot on Telegram to help users identify the authenticity of text content through conversations. Our project encapsulates a two-pronged strategy: generating fake content to understand its dynamics and developing assessment techniques to mitigate its impact. As part of that effort we propose the creation of speculative fact-checking wearables in the shape of reading glasses and a clip-on. As a computational media art initiative, this project under-scores the delicate interplay between technological progress, ethical consid-erations, and societal consciousness.