Summary
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) emerges as a major threat in the DC Universe, turning public opinion against heroes.
- Deepfake videos show the Justice League slaughtering civilians, causing chaos, unrest, and panic.
- The Justice League struggles to combat the AI-generated deepfake videos, highlighting the need for additional preparedness against digital adversaries.
WARNING: Contains Potential Spoilers for Absolute Power #1!It’s official: the gross misuse of artificial intelligence has spread its plague to the DC Universe, posing as the Justice League’s greatest threat in years. The emergence of this threat couldn’t be more timely, coinciding with ongoing debates and discussions about AI use, as well as DC’s controversy involving AI in comic art.
Despite being a work of fiction,
Absolute Power
#1 effectively underscores the hazards of AI by vividly illustrating its potential to aid in the dissemination of misinformation and provoke widespread panic.
Mark Waid and Dan Mora’s blockbuster summer crisis event, Absolute Power #1, kicks off with a bang, plunging the DC Universe into chaos with a planet-wide assault on all metahumans.
The first phase of Amanda Waller’s overarching grand scheme to wipe Earth of superpowered individuals involves her using Brainiac Queen to hack into worldwide news outlets, releasing deepfake AI videos that show the world’s heroes mercilessly and indiscriminately slaughtering civilians. This move effectively turns the public’s opinion against their protectors, resulting in mobs of people attacking metas and general unrest across the planet.
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The Justice League and Titans Battle AI-Generated Deepfake Videos in Absolute Power #1
Waller goes all out with her deepfake AI-generated footage, spreading misinformation worldwide and hacking into all major news outlets to amplify her false narrative. These videos depict heroes like Supergirl, Green Lantern, the Titans, Shazam, Firestorm, Superman, and others committing acts of violence against innocents. As Flash accurately sums up, “No wonder people are freaking out! This looks like some kind of global superhuman terrorist attack!” Consequently, people become terrified of their once-beloved heroes and begin attacking them on sight, unwittingly playing right into Waller’s hands.
The focus on AI in this issue is sharply pointed, likely serving as a commentary on the rampant misuse of artificial intelligence prevalent in today’s media, including but not limited to the proliferation of deepfake AI-generated videos/images and the use of AI in art. Despite being a work of fiction, the comic effectively underscores the hazards of AI by vividly illustrating its potential to aid in the dissemination of misinformation and provoke widespread panic. Moreover, the comic’s exploration of AI is especially intriguing given the current DC controversy surrounding Francesco Mattina, who has had allegations of AI use leveled against him.
Due to the accusations of the use of A.I. leveled against the artist, DC Comics has canceled all planned cover art by Francesco Mattina.
How Did the Justice League and Heroes Fare in Their Battle Against AI Art? (Spoiler: Not Good)
The DC Universe’s heroes are adept at combating physical threats, yet digital adversaries often challenge them, despite exceptions such as Barbara “Oracle” Gordon and Victor “Cyborg” Stone, who excel in handling cyber threats. However, even these two tech-whizzes found themselves stumped when attempting to thwart Waller’s AI-generated attack. Despite Oracle’s mastery of hacking, she struggled against what was essentially alien-code. Similarly, Cyborg, renowned for his technological prowess, was unable to shut down the deepfakes. In conclusion, if there was one threat the Justice League was ill-prepared to face, it was artificial intelligence.
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Absolute Power #1 is available now from DC Comics!
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