Seeing is believing; at least thats how the old saying goes. However, in light of todays graphics technology this assertion should be both reevaluated and carefully scrutinized. Computer graphics are already widely used in a host of incongruous applications. On one hand they present us with fantasy worlds in cinema and video games, on the other they have become a popular tool for courtroom reenactments. At present, most computer-synthesized images can still be detected after careful investigation by a skilled observer, but the day when computer-generated images are virtually indistinguishable from real images is in sight.
With this talk I would like to investigate the moral dilemmas and societal implications of the eventual success in ones area of research. While the quandary faced by computer graphics researchers pales in comparison to that faced by Oppenhiem, in many ways this genie is subtler, and thus, I assert more dangerous. Our belief in images and videos is an important question considering that surveillance cameras are frequently processed to aid in criminal convictions, and employees have be terminated on the basis on images stored on their hard drives. Do the rules of the game change when the tools exist for manipulating the contents of videos, or when offensive content can be synthesized with no real victim? Will we ever see the day when we are held responsible for a virtual act, even when that act is indistinguishable from reality?