WASHINGTON -- New technology on the internet lets anyone make videos of real people appearing to say things they've never said.

Republicans and Democrats predict this high-tech way of putting words in someone's mouth will become the latest weapon in disinformation wars against the United States and other Western democracies.

This technology uses facial mapping and artificial intelligence to produce videos that appear so genuine it's hard to spot what is phony. Lawmakers and intelligence officials worry that the bogus videos — called deepfakes — could be used to threaten national security or interfere in elections, including the US midterms this fall.

Realizing the implications, US defense researchers are developing technologies that can detect fake images and videos. Right now, it takes extensive analysis to identify phony videos. (AP)