When Michael Garrett, the Sir Bernard Lovell Chair of Astrophysics at the University of Manchester, led the International Academy of Astronautics through an overhaul of humanity's rulebook for announcing contact with alien intelligence, he wasn't thinking about little green men—he was thinking about deepfakes.
The IAA SETI Committee has just ratified a completely revised Declaration of Principles for what happens if we detect extraterrestrial intelligence, the first major update to these protocols in more than 15 years. And the difference between the old rules and the new ones tells you everything about how the world has changed. In 2010, when the previous protocols were established, we didn't have the same tsunami of misinformation, AI-generated media, and viral conspiracy theories that shape our information landscape today. A stray signal, if announced without ironclad verification, could now spark panic or confusion before the ink was dry.
"In an era of deepfakes, automated misinformation and instant global connectivity, a single unverified claim could trigger confusion or panic," Garrett explained. "These new protocols ensure that scientists maintain the highest standards of evidence before making announcements to the world."
The expanded scope of modern SETI research demanded new thinking too. Researchers no longer just listen for radio signals. They now scan the entire electromagnetic spectrum for excess infrared heat signatures from potential megastructures, optical laser emissions, and multi-messenger signals. The revised declaration acknowledges this far broader investigation into what scientists call "technosignatures"—any evidence of alien technology, not just intelligent messages aimed at us.
At the core of the updated protocols sits a principle as old as science itself: extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. Under the new rules, no scientist can announce a detection to the public until the signal has been rigorously verified by independent organizations using completely different instruments. As Garrett put it, "We do not shout 'alien' the moment we see a strange blip. The scientific method demands we check, check again, and then ask others to check. Only when we have reached a consensus that a signal is credible do we bring it to the world."
The protocols also protect the researchers themselves. Scientists involved in a potential detection could face doxxing, harassment, or intense media scrutiny—real risks in an environment where rumors spread instantly across social platforms. The new rules account for that vulnerability and distinguish verified data from hoaxes or terrestrial interference from satellites and other human technology.
One principle, however, remains unshaken: humanity will not send a reply. The updated declaration reaffirms that any response to extraterrestrial intelligence is a decision that belongs to all people on Earth, not to scientists alone. Such a conversation, if it ever happens, must occur through international consultation and ultimately through the United Nations.
With the IAA board's ratification now complete, the updated protocols will be formally presented to the wider scientific and media community at the International Astrononautical Congress in Türkiye later this year. The IAA SETI Committee is also establishing a permanent Post-Detection Sub-Committee bringing together experts in social science, law, and ethics—people who can think through what a confirmed discovery would mean for human society, not just for astronomy. As Bill Diamond, president and CEO of the SETI Institute, noted, these updated rules acknowledge "the radically different media landscape that science functions within today, and the vastly expanded efforts in terms of technology and resources being deployed in the search for intelligent life beyond Earth." We've built better telescopes and more sensitive instruments. Now we've built a better process to handle what we might find.