Being called authentic is an honor. For example, an authentic piece of art can go for millions of dollars. People make a living off authenticating items by ensuring people get what they are paying for. Being told you yourself are authentic is a major compliment. Currently, authenticity is under attack: famous artwork can be recreated with the click of your mouse. When someone asks how your day is, do you tell them the truth?
Where we have to do extensive research to make sure we are getting the truth, is in my opinion ridiculous. We should strive to be authentic.
Every year Merriam Webster Dictionary picks a word of the year. The 2023 word of the year is authentic. With over 500,000 entries, authentic was the most looked up, thus making it the word of the year.
Most examples of how authenticity has been twisted–-and the lines blurred–-are online. Deepfakes can be found almost anywhere on the internet. AI can match our skills in art, songs, and writing– really anything you can think of. In a world where computer generated images look so similar to the real thing, how can we protect “authenticity”?
Sure some things that have happened this year can be seen as authentic, but do the celebrity tell-all books and BeReal, an app that strives to make people authentic, outweigh the Donald Trump and Joe Biden AI playing fortnite on my TikTok for you page? Or does it outweigh students using ChatGPT to write their A+ essays?
Is anything really authentic anymore? Personally, 2023 feels like the least authentic year so far. AI has literally forced one of the biggest picket-lines in TV broadcasting history. The Writers Guild of America and other major writers and actors went on strike for five months. For five months, filming stopped and new seasons of TV shows and movies were postponed. The reason for the strike? AI writing for TV shows, movies, and CGI actors starring in them.
AI and deepfakes may seem harmless and funny, but in reality, it has the potential to do dangerous things. Someone could easily make a video of the President of the United States declaring war on Canada or some other country. Could you imagine the national panic that would cause? Obviously, eventually it would be revealed as fake, but it would still cause major distress.
We also live in a time where you’re never really sure if what people are saying is true. It might just be my anxiety, but I always find myself questioning what people say. “I love your outfit!” Okay, are you being sarcastic, or do you actually like my outfit? “The whole class did well on the test.” Did we actually or are you just trying not to hurt our feelings? “I think your story is great!” Are you sure???
Not only do we have trust issues in social situations, but also things on the internet. Pete Davidson and Kim Kardashian are Official! When I read that headline, I honestly didn’t believe it. Rumors about celebrities, TikTokers, politicians, literally anyone, could have been made up, or misinterpreted, and it could cause major problems for the person being judged.
2023’s Word of the Year isn’t “authentic” because 2023 has been authentic– it is because authenticity has become rare and hard to find. Maybe instead of making advancements in artificial intelligence, we should be making progress in making the world a better place. Instead of making commercials with Audrey Hepburn promoting Dove chocolate, we should be focusing on the overwhelming number of people who are struggling to make ends meet. Most people can not function without technology and most kids can’t even read a real clock! We need to focus more on real life, not what is on our screens.
We need to be more authentic.