- What if the world
as you experience it
00:00:00.90\00:00:01.63
is not exactly the
way you think it is?
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What if the evidence of your
senses has been lying to you?
00:00:05.00\00:00:09.64
And what if the
things you hear and see
00:00:09.64\00:00:11.64
as you make
your way through life
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aren't actually real?
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Don't think that could happen?
00:00:15.54\00:00:16.98
Stick around
because you're about to have
00:00:16.98\00:00:19.28
an authentic experience.
00:00:19.28\00:00:21.22
[upbeat music]
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I don't know if you're
getting the same online ads
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that I am, but I keep
getting these commercials
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for computer
generated voiceover services
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that allow you
to narrate a video
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without actually
having to use a voice actor.
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And I guess computerized voices
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are nothing particularly new
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because, well,
maybe you remember this.
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The Chrysler Corporation
actually introduced talking cars
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back in the 1980s.
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Right about the
time that "Knight Rider"
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was a really popular TV show.
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And these Chryslers had all
these prerecorded notifications
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like please fasten your seatbelt
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or a door is a jar and a lot
of other well naggy messages.
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And of course, as a kid,
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I thought that
talking cars were pretty cool.
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But now maybe you've noticed
you can't find them anywhere
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because talking
cars have disappeared.
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It's been 40 years since
they first hit the market.
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And my guess is
that manufacturers
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found that people don't
want their cars talking to them.
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There's just something
about artificial voices
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and artificial people that
doesn't sit well with most of
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us. [upbeat music]
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You see, no
matter how good you are
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at creating the
illusion of human intelligence
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coming out of a machine,
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most of our efforts don't
pass the consumers sniff test.
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Even though a lot of people
can't really put their finger
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on why they don't like it.
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For example, sometimes you
get a computer generated voice
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answering your phone calls.
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And most of us don't like that.
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Back in 2018,
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Google unveiled a new service
that actually calls businesses
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for you to make appointments.
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So if you need a haircut,
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let's say you just push a button
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and Google
calls the hairdresser,
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and lines up your appointment.
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And from what I gather,
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a lot of the people
who took those calls,
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couldn't tell it was a
computer talking at them.
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Then on the heels of that,
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Google introduced
a virtual call center
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where they
answer the phone for you
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and talk to your customers.
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And again, I've got to admit
these computer generated voices
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were really pretty convincing,
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at least for a
couple of minutes.
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For a few minutes,
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you might think you're
talking to a real human being.
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But if you keep listening
to those artificial voices,
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there's always a tell.
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There's always some
little nuance that gives it away
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because human
communication is very complex
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and our brains have gotten good
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at picking up little details
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to help us interpret
what people are saying.
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You see, we don't just
communicate with words.
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We also communicate by
using little inflections
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or silencers, or facial
expressions, or hand gestures.
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And for computers
to mimic all of that.
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Well, they'd have
to be able to read
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and interpret the
emotional state of the listener,
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and that's not an easy task.
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So at some point,
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when you're listening to
computer generated voices,
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you are going to
hear the difference.
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The computer's going
to get something wrong
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ever so slightly.
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And that's gonna make you feel
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just a little bit uncomfortable.
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It's a phenomenon we
call the uncanny valley.
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There's just
something about a phony person,
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a phony voice that triggers
a very uncomfortable feeling
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in most of us.
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Now on the phone,
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it's pretty easy to fool people
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because you can't actually see
someone's facial expressions.
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But when you turn on video,
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your face in essence
becomes your second voice.
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In fact, something
like 80% of communication,
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isn't done with words.
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When you and I talked
through FaceTime or on Zoom,
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I can see the
sparkle in your eye
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or the wrinkle
forming on your forehead
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or the look of fear on your face
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when you tell me what just
happened to you at the hospital.
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What I see adds a lot
of meaning to what you say.
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And so far,
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we haven't been
able to build a computer
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that can actually
master the complete art
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of human communication,
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because
communication is very intuitive.
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It's a two-way street.
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Real human beings will
change what they're saying
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or how they're saying it
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based on the
visual feedback they get
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from somebody's
face and so forth,
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a Silicon chip
doesn't know how to do that.
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At least not very well.
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Some visual artists and movie
makers have caught on to this.
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And they're
actually abandoning the idea
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of trying to use computer
generated people in their
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movies. They'd
rather make cartoons,
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something that doesn't try
to look like a real person,
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because well,
audiences often reject
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the more realistic
looking characters.
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They don't like them.
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What we're discovering is that
if you try to get too close,
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too much like a real
person, it turns people off.
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They find it creepy.
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It's kind of like
those Japanese robots.
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They get really close to
looking like real people.
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But when they
start moving and talking,
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it gives you the willies,
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because you can
tell something's wrong.
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You might not know what it is,
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but you know something's wrong.
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That is the uncanny valley.
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Of course, some people
are still working on this
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and they're
getting closer and closer
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to creating a believable fake.
00:06:02.79\00:06:05.56
When Google rolled out
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their artificial
operators for example,
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a lot of people were fooled,
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but still there's
a significant barrier
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to making fakes
look really, really good.
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And that's the fact
that the sheer volume of data
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that passes back and
forth when you and I are talking
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is so massive that programmers
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have to anticipate
millions of possibilities,
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and that's a
pretty daunting job.
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So of course the next
step is to teach computers
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to start learning so they
can learn all the possibilities
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found in human exchanges.
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And then they could
anticipate absolutely anything.
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So who knows, maybe
we'll get there someday.
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Maybe we'll build
the perfect illusion,
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an artificial human that
can actually fool all of us.
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Now, personally,
I kind of doubt it.
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I could be
wrong, but I doubt it.
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So, as I was saying,
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I've been getting these ads
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for a computer
generated voiceover service,
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and they tell me I can
create instructional videos
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or sales presentations by
using an artificial voice.
00:07:07.52\00:07:11.03
And they insist that
nobody will be able to tell.
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So who knows,
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maybe someday I can do this show
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by having a computer generated
Sean sit in this chair.
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Now, again, I'm not very hopeful
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because when I listened to
the samples from that service,
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I can tell the difference.
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So you can just
call me skeptical.
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I'm not sure
it's going to happen.
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Now just a few weeks ago,
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I had this article
pop up on my newsfeed
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and it's talking about the
dangers of deep, fake videos.
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These are videos that put
words into real people's mouths,
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words they never actually said.
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And some of them
look pretty good.
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Maybe you saw that
State Farm commercial,
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where they made it
look like a sportscaster
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back in 1998 was predicting
stuff in the year 2020.
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And he was getting
absolutely everything right.
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Of course, this
never actually happened.
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It was a
computer generated fake,
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but I've got to admit
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if you weren't
really watching carefully,
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this one was pretty good.
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Now I don't know if I would
have fallen for it, honestly,
00:08:09.72\00:08:11.89
because unfortunately I
already knew it was a fake
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before I watched it.
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So I was on high alert
and I was being careful.
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I was watching
for inconsistencies.
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And of course, because I
was watching, I found them.
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But what if I
didn't know in advance?
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What if I wasn't
paying attention?
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What if I was watching
this out of the corner of my eye
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while I was busy
doing something else?
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Because, well, that's
usually the way I watch TV,
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who knows I might
have fallen for it.
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But I'll tell you
what really bothers me,
00:08:40.25\00:08:42.52
the possibility
that people might use
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this kind of technology
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to persuade the public of things
that never really happened.
00:08:46.35\00:08:51.06
And sadly, I think there
are people who would do this.
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There are people who
will use this technology
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to put words in people's mouths
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in order to destroy those
people and to sell us a lie.
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After all, even though we
didn't have deep fake technology
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in the past,
00:09:05.47\00:09:06.98
we still used print media
and other modes of communication
00:09:06.98\00:09:10.38
to run nationwide
propaganda campaigns.
00:09:10.38\00:09:13.58
The clearest
example we have of that
00:09:13.58\00:09:15.08
in recent history of
course is the way that the Nazis
00:09:15.08\00:09:18.25
or the Stalinists
managed to distort reality
00:09:18.25\00:09:22.29
through a deliberate
campaign of misinformation.
00:09:22.29\00:09:25.73
So we know that
people will do this.
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We know that deep
fakes can be very dangerous.
00:09:29.80\00:09:32.77
In recent years,
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we've already
seen deep fake artists
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put words into
famous politicians mouths,
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creating videos
where they appear
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to be saying
something they never did.
00:09:40.21\00:09:42.71
And now we find ourselves
standing on the front edge
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of a brand new problem.
00:09:45.88\00:09:47.55
If somebody
doesn't like who I am
00:09:47.55\00:09:49.95
or what I say and trust me,
00:09:49.95\00:09:52.09
there's always somebody
who doesn't like what I say.
00:09:52.09\00:09:55.49
They could
potentially ruin my life
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by manipulating a video
and putting words in my mouth.
00:09:57.19\00:10:01.33
Let's say someone
wants a promotion at work
00:10:01.33\00:10:03.77
and they're
afraid you might get it.
00:10:03.77\00:10:05.83
So they sit at their
computer and make a video
00:10:05.83\00:10:07.77
where it sounds like
you're bad mouthing the boss.
00:10:07.77\00:10:10.77
How do you defend yourself
against something like that?
00:10:10.77\00:10:15.38
You know, this is something
that's already happening.
00:10:15.38\00:10:17.58
Somebody made a video making
it look like President Obama
00:10:17.58\00:10:20.35
was cussing
about President Trump,
00:10:20.35\00:10:22.55
calling him rude names that I
could never repeat on the air.
00:10:22.55\00:10:26.59
It was a fake.
00:10:26.59\00:10:28.26
Somebody did it to
Mark Zuckerberg too,
00:10:28.26\00:10:30.13
they made a video where
it looked like he was saying
00:10:30.13\00:10:32.06
he planned to manipulate
the whole planet using Facebook.
00:10:32.06\00:10:35.96
And if I'm
perfectly straight with you,
00:10:35.96\00:10:37.27
I kind of want it
to believe that one,
00:10:37.27\00:10:39.27
because Facebook's been
rubbing my fur the wrong way
00:10:39.27\00:10:42.27
for a long time.
00:10:42.27\00:10:43.30
That's what makes
these things so dangerous.
00:10:44.47\00:10:47.31
If you come
across a deep fake video
00:10:47.31\00:10:49.34
of someone you don't like,
you're gonna want to believe it.
00:10:49.34\00:10:53.68
So of course, what in the
world can you do about this?
00:10:53.68\00:10:57.15
Well, I guess the first thing
00:10:57.15\00:10:58.72
is to take everything
you see with a grain of salt.
00:10:58.72\00:11:00.86
I don't want to
live like a cynic
00:11:00.86\00:11:02.79
and it would be
nice to trust everybody,
00:11:02.79\00:11:04.56
but that's getting harder to do.
00:11:04.56\00:11:06.83
A world with deep
fake technology is a world
00:11:06.83\00:11:08.93
where conspiracy theorists
00:11:08.93\00:11:10.13
are probably
gonna have a heyday.
00:11:10.13\00:11:12.00
I mean, some of these guys
00:11:12.00\00:11:13.17
are already trying to tell us
00:11:13.17\00:11:14.84
that nobody ever
landed on the moon
00:11:14.84\00:11:16.97
and the world is flat.
00:11:16.97\00:11:18.51
And now they might just
have the technology to show you.
00:11:18.51\00:11:22.68
So you've got to wonder
what it's gonna do to us,
00:11:22.68\00:11:24.78
if we all become distrustful
and apprehensive all the time.
00:11:24.78\00:11:29.58
And
unfortunately this new problem
00:11:29.58\00:11:31.05
runs a whole lot
deeper than some people think.
00:11:31.05\00:11:34.12
I'll be right
back to tell you why.
00:11:34.12\00:11:36.16
[upbeat music]
00:11:37.29\00:11:38.49
- [Narrator] Life
can throw a lot at us.
00:11:38.49\00:11:40.56
Sometimes we don't
have all the answers,
00:11:40.56\00:11:43.90
but that's where
the Bible comes in.
00:11:43.90\00:11:46.30
It's our guide to a
more fulfilling life.
00:11:46.30\00:11:49.40
Here at the Voice of Prophecy,
00:11:49.40\00:11:50.97
we've created the
Discover Bible guides
00:11:50.97\00:11:53.11
to be your guide to the Bible.
00:11:53.11\00:11:54.71
They're designed to
be simple, easy to use
00:11:54.71\00:11:57.21
and provide answers to many
of life's toughest questions.
00:11:57.21\00:12:00.18
And they're absolutely free.
00:12:00.18\00:12:02.22
So jump online now,
00:12:02.22\00:12:03.72
or give us a call and
start your journey of discovery.
00:12:03.72\00:12:06.79
- Unfortunately,
we now find ourselves
00:12:08.49\00:12:10.33
living in a world where
it's getting harder and harder
00:12:10.33\00:12:12.63
to figure out if some
things are actually real.
00:12:12.63\00:12:16.50
Well, we have a lot
of manufactured reality
00:12:16.50\00:12:18.60
in the 21st century
00:12:18.60\00:12:20.10
and the sheer
volume of information
00:12:20.10\00:12:21.84
pushed in your
direction every single day,
00:12:21.84\00:12:24.41
and the speed at
which you are asked
00:12:24.41\00:12:26.34
to absorb that
information makes it impossible
00:12:26.34\00:12:29.38
to carefully evaluate
everything you hear and see,
00:12:29.38\00:12:33.05
I don't know if
you've ever noticed this,
00:12:33.05\00:12:34.38
but when you watch too much TV,
00:12:34.38\00:12:35.98
binge on it.
00:12:35.98\00:12:37.35
It kind of leaves your
brain in a bit of a fog.
00:12:37.35\00:12:39.75
You plop
yourself down on the couch
00:12:39.75\00:12:41.39
and you watch a TV show over
and over for a whole afternoon.
00:12:41.39\00:12:44.86
And then when you're finished
00:12:44.86\00:12:46.39
and you try to do something
intelligent, like read a book,
00:12:46.39\00:12:49.93
you find it really
hard to concentrate.
00:12:49.93\00:12:52.60
Now, this isn't
exactly hard science,
00:12:52.60\00:12:54.27
but some people think
that the reason this happens,
00:12:54.27\00:12:57.11
at least in part is that
all that information from the TV
00:12:57.11\00:13:00.51
was being fed into
your mind so quickly
00:13:00.51\00:13:03.24
that you actually
turned off your capacity
00:13:03.24\00:13:05.38
for careful judgment.
00:13:05.38\00:13:06.95
You just shut down
your mental filters
00:13:06.95\00:13:08.78
and let all the
information come in.
00:13:08.78\00:13:11.72
Now I'm not a neuroscientist.
00:13:11.72\00:13:14.59
And that's just my way
of describing the process.
00:13:14.59\00:13:17.29
But it's an undeniable
fact that when you're presented
00:13:17.29\00:13:20.00
with way too much
information far too quickly,
00:13:20.00\00:13:23.40
you do have a
tendency to shut down.
00:13:23.40\00:13:25.37
You just absorb stuff
without thinking about it.
00:13:25.37\00:13:28.94
So here we are living in a time
00:13:28.94\00:13:31.11
when we have more information
00:13:31.11\00:13:32.54
than any other generation that's
ever lived on this planet.
00:13:32.54\00:13:35.64
Over the last couple of years,
00:13:35.64\00:13:37.15
human beings have added
2.5 quintillion bytes of data
00:13:37.15\00:13:41.22
to the internet every 24 hours.
00:13:41.22\00:13:44.45
Just on Instagram,
00:13:44.45\00:13:45.72
there are 95 million
new photos every single day.
00:13:45.72\00:13:49.82
It's a lot of information.
00:13:49.82\00:13:52.13
And while you certainly
don't even see a fraction
00:13:52.13\00:13:54.20
of that personally,
00:13:54.20\00:13:55.70
the amount of data that you
are exposed to is unbelievable.
00:13:55.70\00:13:59.73
So of course,
00:13:59.73\00:14:01.07
there's no way to
absorb all of that critically.
00:14:01.07\00:14:03.71
And what you do is
filter the information.
00:14:03.71\00:14:06.17
You pick and choose,
00:14:06.17\00:14:07.44
what you're going
to expose your mind to.
00:14:07.44\00:14:09.28
But unfortunately
your mind has a habit
00:14:09.28\00:14:11.88
of preferring the information
00:14:11.88\00:14:13.18
that already agrees
with what you believe.
00:14:13.18\00:14:15.58
That's called confirmation bias.
00:14:15.58\00:14:18.49
And that's not a bad thing
00:14:18.49\00:14:19.99
because it actually allows
you to build a working model
00:14:19.99\00:14:22.79
for how you're
gonna navigate the world.
00:14:22.79\00:14:25.13
But sometimes what happens
00:14:25.13\00:14:26.66
is that you're adding bad
information to bad information,
00:14:26.66\00:14:30.20
and you're
actually confirming ideas
00:14:30.20\00:14:31.87
that were never
valid in the first place.
00:14:31.87\00:14:35.24
Let me see if I can illustrate.
00:14:35.24\00:14:37.27
Once upon a time
most of us believed
00:14:37.27\00:14:39.24
that the earth was the
center of the solar system.
00:14:39.24\00:14:41.91
And we had really bright
people telling us this was true.
00:14:41.91\00:14:44.71
People like Ptolemy, the
great North African astronomer.
00:14:44.71\00:14:48.22
And once we
accepted the basic premise,
00:14:48.22\00:14:50.72
it suddenly looked like all
the data supported this idea.
00:14:50.72\00:14:54.26
The Ptolemaic
model of the solar system
00:14:54.26\00:14:56.32
was actually pretty
useful for making predictions.
00:14:56.32\00:14:58.79
It worked.
00:14:58.79\00:15:00.20
So we kept on adding
to a body of knowledge
00:15:00.20\00:15:02.80
that at its core was wrong.
00:15:02.80\00:15:05.90
It's kind of the same
with the flat earth crowd.
00:15:05.90\00:15:08.54
Talking to a flat earther
00:15:08.54\00:15:09.97
can be a really
frustrating experience
00:15:09.97\00:15:12.04
because once they've
come to the conclusion
00:15:12.04\00:15:14.58
that the earth is flat,
00:15:14.58\00:15:16.11
they start to see
evidence absolutely everywhere.
00:15:16.11\00:15:18.98
They have confirmation bias.
00:15:18.98\00:15:20.82
And over time they collect
piles and piles of evidence
00:15:20.82\00:15:23.85
to support an idea
that was never true.
00:15:23.85\00:15:26.72
You see the human brain
simply can't handle everything.
00:15:26.72\00:15:29.69
So it accepts the
information that appears useful
00:15:29.69\00:15:32.63
and the information
that confirms what it already
00:15:32.63\00:15:35.96
believes, and it pretty
much ignores everything else.
00:15:35.96\00:15:40.17
So once you absorb one
lie, one convincing falsehood,
00:15:40.17\00:15:44.51
it becomes very easy
00:15:44.51\00:15:45.91
to make a mental
fortress out of that idea.
00:15:45.91\00:15:48.41
You keep collecting evidence
00:15:48.41\00:15:49.91
that what you believe is true
00:15:49.91\00:15:51.75
and you use that
evidence to put up walls
00:15:51.75\00:15:54.42
to protect your idea.
00:15:54.42\00:15:56.28
Now, again, that's not all bad
00:15:56.28\00:15:57.79
because you have to pick
and choose the information
00:15:57.79\00:16:00.39
that you're going to keep.
00:16:00.39\00:16:01.59
And you really don't
wanna start from scratch
00:16:01.59\00:16:03.69
with every new experience.
00:16:03.69\00:16:05.59
If you had to analyze absolutely
everything all the time,
00:16:05.59\00:16:09.03
it would paralyze you.
00:16:09.03\00:16:10.10
You'd never get anything done.
00:16:10.10\00:16:12.53
So you want your
brain to do this.
00:16:12.53\00:16:14.60
You want it to build shortcuts,
00:16:14.60\00:16:17.17
but at the same time in a world
00:16:17.17\00:16:18.74
where people are
deliberately fabricating stuff,
00:16:18.74\00:16:21.08
it becomes more
and more important
00:16:21.08\00:16:23.88
to know what
you're going to believe
00:16:23.88\00:16:26.18
and why you wanna believe it.
00:16:26.18\00:16:28.58
We have no choice but
to examine our assumptions
00:16:28.58\00:16:31.25
and we have to do it more often
00:16:31.25\00:16:33.22
because we're living in a
sea of very bad information.
00:16:33.22\00:16:37.93
So let's say you
watch a video on YouTube
00:16:39.06\00:16:42.63
and it's telling
you that the government
00:16:42.63\00:16:43.97
has ordered a
hundred million caskets
00:16:43.97\00:16:46.53
because it's gonna kill
off a hundred million people.
00:16:46.53\00:16:49.64
And then somebody actually
shows you these caskets.
00:16:49.64\00:16:52.77
Now you've gotta ask yourself
a very important question.
00:16:52.77\00:16:55.71
How likely is this to be true?
00:16:55.71\00:16:58.21
I mean, would
anybody have a reason
00:16:58.21\00:16:59.65
to make a story like that up?
00:16:59.65\00:17:01.55
Is it possible
they're doing this
00:17:01.55\00:17:03.42
to build a YouTube following.
00:17:03.42\00:17:05.09
And then after that,
00:17:06.09\00:17:07.02
you've got to ask yourself
00:17:07.02\00:17:08.19
another really
important question.
00:17:08.19\00:17:10.03
Even if this is true, so what?
00:17:10.03\00:17:12.99
I mean, let's
suppose for a moment,
00:17:12.99\00:17:14.76
the earth really is flat.
00:17:14.76\00:17:16.20
Now, I don't believe that.
00:17:16.20\00:17:17.40
So don't run around quoting me,
00:17:17.40\00:17:18.67
but just for the sake
of argument, let's pretend.
00:17:18.67\00:17:21.44
So what?
00:17:21.44\00:17:22.80
What difference does it make?
00:17:22.80\00:17:24.44
Are you planning to
go on a space voyage?
00:17:24.44\00:17:26.71
Why does this
information matter?
00:17:26.71\00:17:29.38
It doesn't.
00:17:29.38\00:17:31.15
Now please don't
write me letters.
00:17:31.15\00:17:32.61
I'm not interested in
the flat earth theory.
00:17:32.61\00:17:34.18
I reject it.
00:17:34.18\00:17:35.55
And I digress.
00:17:36.38\00:17:38.02
Human beings tragically have
a long record of being liars
00:17:38.02\00:17:42.26
and now we have
the digital tools
00:17:42.26\00:17:44.03
to make our lives
seem well, very compelling.
00:17:44.03\00:17:48.43
So how in the world are
you supposed to navigate this?
00:17:48.43\00:17:51.23
I'll be right back.
00:17:51.23\00:17:52.37
Take a stab at answering that.
00:17:52.37\00:17:53.97
[upbeat music]
00:17:55.47\00:17:56.71
- [Narrator] Here at
the Voice of Prophecy,
00:17:56.71\00:17:58.17
we're committed to
creating top quality programming
00:17:58.17\00:17:59.87
for the whole family.
00:17:59.87\00:18:01.38
Like our audio adventure
series, "Discovery Mountain."
00:18:01.38\00:18:04.48
"Discovery Mountain"
is a Bible based program
00:18:04.48\00:18:07.05
for kids of all
ages and backgrounds.
00:18:07.05\00:18:09.38
Your family will enjoy
the faith building stories
00:18:09.38\00:18:12.15
from this small
mountain summer camp and town.
00:18:12.15\00:18:15.02
With 24 seasonal
episodes every year
00:18:15.02\00:18:17.53
and fresh content every week,
00:18:17.53\00:18:19.76
there's always a new
adventure just on the horizon.
00:18:19.76\00:18:22.80
- There is no
way for a human being
00:18:26.74\00:18:29.07
to process absolutely
every bit of information
00:18:29.07\00:18:31.94
that pours into your brain.
00:18:31.94\00:18:35.01
So we have to build models for
how we think the world works,
00:18:35.01\00:18:39.51
because you
can't know everything.
00:18:39.51\00:18:41.88
And the models we build require
00:18:41.88\00:18:44.25
that we deliberately
ignore a lot of information.
00:18:44.25\00:18:47.52
You've got no choice.
00:18:47.52\00:18:48.46
You have to pick and choose.
00:18:48.46\00:18:50.46
So the question is,
how do you build the model?
00:18:50.46\00:18:53.93
What information
are you going to choose
00:18:53.93\00:18:55.90
to help you
understand the world?
00:18:55.90\00:18:58.23
You know, there's an old story
00:18:59.10\00:19:00.44
about the way
they train bank tellers
00:19:00.44\00:19:01.77
to spot a counterfeit bill.
00:19:01.77\00:19:04.17
There are so
many different kinds
00:19:04.17\00:19:05.71
of counterfeits in circulation
00:19:05.71\00:19:07.41
that you can't study them all.
00:19:07.41\00:19:09.98
So what they do is give
bank tellers a real bank note,
00:19:09.98\00:19:13.58
and they tell them to study
it, turn it over in your hands.
00:19:13.58\00:19:16.69
Remember how it
looks, how it feels,
00:19:16.69\00:19:18.92
think about how it smells.
00:19:18.92\00:19:20.52
And one day when
you get handed a fake,
00:19:20.52\00:19:22.69
you're just going to know it.
00:19:22.69\00:19:25.66
It's kind of like
the uncanny valley.
00:19:25.66\00:19:28.30
You might not be able to
define exactly what's wrong,
00:19:28.30\00:19:31.67
but you'll know something is.
00:19:31.67\00:19:34.00
So how do you tell
if something is true?
00:19:35.20\00:19:37.84
You spend a lot of
time studying the truth.
00:19:37.84\00:19:41.14
Now, unfortunately we
are part of a generation
00:19:41.14\00:19:43.35
that says there is no truth.
00:19:43.35\00:19:45.15
There is no objective reality,
00:19:45.15\00:19:48.08
but historically
we need to understand
00:19:48.08\00:19:49.88
that's a brand new concept
00:19:49.88\00:19:51.62
and it flies in the
face of thousands of years
00:19:51.62\00:19:54.89
of diligent human observation.
00:19:54.89\00:19:57.23
There is a real world out there,
00:19:57.23\00:19:59.49
and there are
things you can count on.
00:19:59.49\00:20:01.80
You can tell
yourself, for example,
00:20:01.80\00:20:03.30
all you want that
gravity is an illusion,
00:20:03.30\00:20:06.57
but the next time
you fall off a ladder,
00:20:06.57\00:20:08.24
I promise you will
know that gravity is real.
00:20:08.24\00:20:11.84
There is an objective world,
00:20:11.84\00:20:14.61
and you can use your senses
to discover it and study it.
00:20:14.61\00:20:18.45
But even then, the sharpest
senses do have some limits
00:20:18.45\00:20:22.65
and the way your
brain works, unfortunately,
00:20:22.65\00:20:24.42
your senses will
sometimes deceive you,
00:20:24.42\00:20:26.96
eyes and ears do play tricks.
00:20:26.96\00:20:30.19
So how do you
evaluate the stuff you perceive
00:20:30.19\00:20:33.36
with your senses?
00:20:33.36\00:20:34.36
What you need is an
outside source of authority.
00:20:35.73\00:20:39.00
You need a way to step
outside your own perspective
00:20:39.00\00:20:41.60
and see the
situation from somewhere else.
00:20:41.60\00:20:44.51
To accurately
measure the universe,
00:20:44.51\00:20:46.07
you have to
compare it to something,
00:20:46.07\00:20:47.91
something you know for sure.
00:20:47.91\00:20:50.88
And here's where an
ancient book like the Bible
00:20:50.88\00:20:54.62
suddenly has some
really useful things to say,
00:20:54.62\00:20:57.29
because it's terribly honest
00:20:57.29\00:20:58.89
about the limits
of human perception.
00:20:58.89\00:21:01.32
Over the last 100 years or so,
00:21:01.32\00:21:03.12
we've come to realize that
we have some real limitations
00:21:03.12\00:21:05.89
on our ability to
assess the universe.
00:21:05.89\00:21:08.83
But the people
who wrote this book
00:21:08.83\00:21:10.67
have been saying that
for thousands of years.
00:21:10.67\00:21:13.10
Just listen to this
from the book of Proverbs.
00:21:13.10\00:21:15.87
"There is a way that
seems right to a man,
00:21:17.04\00:21:19.84
but its end is
the way of death."
00:21:19.84\00:21:22.88
So let me ask you this.
00:21:23.85\00:21:25.48
How many times have you
been absolutely convinced
00:21:25.48\00:21:28.28
of something
only to find out later
00:21:28.28\00:21:30.45
that you were wrong because
you didn't have all the data?
00:21:30.45\00:21:34.19
I mean, I can be
honest enough to admit
00:21:34.19\00:21:35.82
that I've done it many times.
00:21:35.82\00:21:37.53
I have forged ahead
with arrogant confidence
00:21:37.53\00:21:40.73
knowing I was absolutely right,
00:21:40.73\00:21:44.13
only to be humiliated
00:21:44.13\00:21:45.40
when the gaps in my
personal understanding
00:21:45.40\00:21:47.27
suddenly showed up.
00:21:47.27\00:21:49.10
I mean, how many times haven't
I said, I don't need a map.
00:21:49.10\00:21:53.11
I can find this
place without one.
00:21:53.11\00:21:55.41
Only to have to get a map
00:21:55.41\00:21:56.98
when it turns out I
was completely wrong.
00:21:56.98\00:21:59.51
So here's what
you have in this book.
00:22:00.78\00:22:03.69
You have a man who
claims to be the son of God.
00:22:03.69\00:22:06.39
"Have a look at me," he said.
00:22:06.39\00:22:07.62
"If you have seen me,
00:22:07.62\00:22:09.22
you have seen the father."
00:22:09.22\00:22:11.43
And when Jesus
finally stood trial
00:22:11.43\00:22:13.19
in front of the religious
authorities of his day,
00:22:13.19\00:22:15.23
because they thought of
him as a political threat,
00:22:15.23\00:22:18.27
they asked him to
explain what he believed.
00:22:18.27\00:22:22.07
And here's what he said,
00:22:22.07\00:22:23.87
"Jesus answered him,
00:22:23.87\00:22:25.14
'I spoke openly to the world.
00:22:25.14\00:22:27.01
I always taught in
synagogues and in the temple
00:22:27.01\00:22:29.24
where the Jews always meet.
00:22:29.24\00:22:30.65
And in secret I
have said nothing.
00:22:30.65\00:22:33.11
Why do you ask me?
00:22:33.11\00:22:34.38
Ask those who have
heard me what I said to them?
00:22:34.38\00:22:36.65
Indeed, they know what I said.'
00:22:36.65\00:22:38.85
And when he had
said these things,
00:22:38.85\00:22:39.95
one of the officers who stood by
00:22:39.95\00:22:42.22
struck Jesus with the
palm of his hand saying,
00:22:42.22\00:22:44.86
'Do you answer the
high priest like that?'
00:22:44.86\00:22:47.83
Jesus answered him,
00:22:47.83\00:22:49.20
'If I have spoken
evil, bear witness of evil,
00:22:49.20\00:22:51.70
but if well, why
do you strike me."
00:22:51.70\00:22:55.10
On another occasion the same man
00:22:55.10\00:22:57.54
stood in front of the
Roman governor and said,
00:22:57.54\00:22:59.31
"Everyone who is of the truth
00:22:59.31\00:23:01.41
hears my voice."
00:23:01.41\00:23:03.45
And Pontius Pilate responded
00:23:03.45\00:23:04.95
with maybe the most
important question ever asked,
00:23:04.95\00:23:08.12
"What is truth?"
00:23:08.12\00:23:10.09
Now I understand a lot of
people have trouble believing
00:23:11.49\00:23:13.92
that real truth actually exists.
00:23:13.92\00:23:16.79
You and I grew up in a
generation that was taught to
00:23:16.79\00:23:19.09
say, we should talk about
truthiness instead of truth.
00:23:19.09\00:23:21.50
Because well, we all have
our own idea of what truth is.
00:23:21.50\00:23:24.87
And we believe now
00:23:24.87\00:23:26.13
that we get to make
up our own sets of facts.
00:23:26.13\00:23:29.44
So when Jesus says,
00:23:29.44\00:23:31.31
"I am the way, the
truth and the life."
00:23:31.31\00:23:33.48
It leaves us just a
little bit skeptical,
00:23:33.48\00:23:36.04
but at the very least
you do owe it to yourself
00:23:36.04\00:23:38.55
to take an honest look.
00:23:38.55\00:23:40.22
Go get a copy of this ancient
book and read it for yourself.
00:23:40.22\00:23:43.89
Forget what all the
religious people say about this,
00:23:45.22\00:23:46.65
because, well, I've gone
around the block enough times
00:23:46.65\00:23:49.29
to know that some of those
religious folks you see on TV,
00:23:49.29\00:23:52.69
they're also in the
business of creating deep fakes.
00:23:52.69\00:23:55.60
They really are.
00:23:55.60\00:23:57.13
So go to the source,
00:23:57.13\00:23:58.83
read what the people
00:23:58.83\00:24:00.10
who were actually
there 2000 years ago said,
00:24:00.10\00:24:03.34
and see what you find.
00:24:03.34\00:24:05.17
Because I'm
telling you there is truth
00:24:05.17\00:24:07.64
and there is something out
there you can count on for sure.
00:24:07.64\00:24:10.81
Something you can believe.
00:24:10.81\00:24:12.98
And when you find that you
will suddenly have the ability
00:24:12.98\00:24:15.65
to detect a fake
00:24:15.65\00:24:17.29
because the lies will
leave you in the uncanny valley.
00:24:17.29\00:24:21.46
I mean, what if Jesus really
did live the perfect life?
00:24:21.46\00:24:25.56
If that's true,
00:24:25.56\00:24:27.03
it seems to me that this
would be a really good place
00:24:27.03\00:24:30.13
to find a little
bit of objectivity.
00:24:30.13\00:24:32.57
And honestly, you've got
nothing to lose just by looking.
00:24:32.57\00:24:37.01
I'll be right back after this.
00:24:37.01\00:24:38.77
- [Narrator] Dragons,
beasts, cryptic statues,
00:24:40.98\00:24:45.25
Bible prophecy can be
incredibly vivid and confusing.
00:24:45.25\00:24:49.85
If you've ever read
Daniel or Revelation
00:24:49.85\00:24:52.02
and come away scratching
your head, you're not alone.
00:24:52.02\00:24:55.09
Our free focus
on prophecy guides
00:24:55.09\00:24:57.46
are designed to help
you unlock the mysteries
00:24:57.46\00:24:59.53
of the Bible and
deepen your understanding
00:24:59.53\00:25:01.80
of God's plan for
you and our world.
00:25:01.80\00:25:04.30
Study online or
request them by mail
00:25:04.30\00:25:06.77
and start bringing
prophecy into focus today.
00:25:06.77\00:25:09.60
[upbeat music]
00:25:12.21\00:25:13.58
- [Narrator] Are you
searching for answers
00:25:13.58\00:25:14.81
to life's toughest questions?
00:25:14.81\00:25:16.41
Like where is
God when we suffer?
00:25:16.41\00:25:18.71
Can I find a real happiness?
00:25:18.71\00:25:20.52
Or is there any hope
for our chaotic world?
00:25:20.52\00:25:23.69
The Discover Bible guides
00:25:23.69\00:25:25.12
will help you find the
answers you're looking for.
00:25:25.12\00:25:27.49
Visit us at biblestudies.com
00:25:27.49\00:25:30.03
or give us a
call at 888-456-7933
00:25:30.03\00:25:34.20
for your free
Discover Bible guides.
00:25:35.40\00:25:37.83
Study online on
our secure website
00:25:37.83\00:25:40.94
or have the free guides
mailed right to your home.
00:25:40.94\00:25:43.51
There is never a
cost or obligation.
00:25:43.51\00:25:46.14
The Discover Bible
guides are our free gift to you.
00:25:46.14\00:25:49.31
Find answers and guides like;
00:25:49.31\00:25:50.75
Does My Life
Really Matter to God?
00:25:50.75\00:25:52.98
And A Second Chance at Life.
00:25:52.98\00:25:55.08
You'll find answers to the
things that matter most to you
00:25:55.08\00:25:57.49
in each of the 26
discover Bible Guides.
00:25:57.49\00:26:00.12
Visit biblestudies.com
and begin your journey today
00:26:00.12\00:26:04.23
to discover answers to
life's deepest questions.
00:26:04.23\00:26:08.03
- Look, for thousands of years,
00:26:13.44\00:26:15.17
the human race had no problem
00:26:15.17\00:26:17.04
believing in objective reality
00:26:17.04\00:26:18.91
that there was something
noble and real out there.
00:26:18.91\00:26:23.78
And for the most part,
00:26:23.78\00:26:25.08
most of us knew
what that reality was.
00:26:25.08\00:26:28.48
But now we live in a world
full of many strange ideas,
00:26:28.48\00:26:31.42
and it's hard to tell
what's real, what's authentic.
00:26:31.42\00:26:35.06
Our natural reaction
is to throw up our hands
00:26:35.06\00:26:36.93
and just give up.
00:26:36.93\00:26:38.66
But at some point
it's going to be important
00:26:38.66\00:26:41.03
to know the real from the fake.
00:26:41.03\00:26:43.60
One of the
authors of the Bible wrote
00:26:43.60\00:26:45.30
that Satan transforms
himself into an angel of light.
00:26:45.30\00:26:49.04
So before this is all over,
00:26:49.04\00:26:51.47
the lies are gonna
get very convincing.
00:26:51.47\00:26:54.51
But if you marinate
yourself in the truth,
00:26:54.51\00:26:58.11
there's always
going to be something,
00:26:58.11\00:26:59.45
some little tell
from the uncanny valley
00:26:59.45\00:27:02.65
that reveals the
lie for what it is.
00:27:02.65\00:27:05.59
The time has come to get
yourself a real bank note.
00:27:05.59\00:27:08.62
Study this day and night
00:27:08.62\00:27:10.69
so that the deep fakes
will be really obvious.
00:27:10.69\00:27:14.93
I'm Shawn Boonstra
thanks for joining me.
00:27:14.93\00:27:17.10
This has been "Authentic."
00:27:17.10\00:27:18.90
[upbeat music]
00:27:18.90\00:27:21.50