Is fake data good news?

FAKE NEWS. Fake reviews. Deep-fake videos. Technology has made it easier than ever to generate content with the aim of obfuscating. 'Fake' has always had inherently negative connotations, yet there is a rising genre of fake content that is altogether more positive. It's still algorithmically generated, it's still created with the purpose of disguising the truth, but it has potential to make the world fairer, more open, and safer. At least, that's what advocates of synthetic data are on a mission to prove as the technology gets set to enter the mainstream.