Q2 E3 Maura Grossman, JD, PhD

Paths of Curiosity in an AI World What if the video used to convict someone never actually happened? That's not science fiction. With today's deepfake technology, it could happen in any courtroom - and soon! In this episode, we continue our AI, Power, Law, and Civic Life miniseries with Dr. Maura Grossman, Research Professor of Computer Science at the University of Waterloo and Adjunct Professor at Osgoode Hall Law School, whose work at the intersection of AI, law, and evidence has made her one of the most sought-after experts in courtrooms on both sides of the border. Together, we explore: Why deepfakes have changed evidence manipulation from a skilled crime to something anyone can do in five minutes for free The nightmare scenario: what happens when fabricated audio or video shows up in family court, and no one can tell it's fake How Dr. Grossman is building a deepfake detection tool specifically designed for the justice system — and why explainability is non-negotiable Why "black box" AI has no place in a courtroom where someone's freedom is on the line What metadata, physics, and shadows can reveal about whether a video is real Whether juries will ever be able to trust video evidence again — and how soon that moment of no return might arrive Dr. Grossman also shares her remarkable non-linear path from clinical psychologist to elite litigator to computer science professor, and why the best career advice she ever received was to stop being a generalist. This conversation will change how you look at every video you've ever trusted. Because in a world where anyone can fabricate a confession, a threat, or a crime — the real question isn't just whether the evidence is real. It's whether we'll ever be able to know. Paths of Curiosity in an AI World Exploring tomorrow’s careers through the lens of AI Follow us: @pathsofcuriosity Website: https://pathsofcuriosity.com/ Youtube:    / @pathsofcuriosity   X: https://x.com/PathsCuriosity LinkedIn:   / paths-of-curiosity-in-an-ai-world-2117803aa