What is deepfake & why is everyone talking about it?

As the US 2020 elections loomed near, AI-generated deepfakes are hitting the news. But what are deepfakes and are the implications of this technology?

What is it?

A deepfake video is a fake photo, video, or story generated by AI neural networks. Deepfake creators use artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms to imitate the work and characteristics of real humans. It differs from traditional ‘fake media’ by being extremely hard to identify. First, the AI software scans your face, in order to copy it. Subsequently, it uses this copy to generate a live copy that can be used & steered as the software holder likes.

A few use cases

Deepfakes are the next generation of video & audio manipulation and is often used to swap someone's face onto someone else's. Sometimes they're made to look accurate and other times it's just for a quick laugh. Actually, facial recognition technology has been around for a long time. It is used in famous movies like Star Wars, Rogue One.

They used it to make the actress playing Carrie Fisher, look the same age. And also, after Paul Walker died during the production of Fast and the Furious 7. They mapped his face onto his brothers' bodies so that they were able to complete the film without seeing a difference.

Part of the reason why pretty much anyone can make one is that most of the heavy lifting is done by artificial intelligence. When it comes to face swapping you feed the AI data, such as a photo (yes, that is also data). The AI then uses that info to map the face onto another one.

The 'wrong' use cases

However, deep fakes aren't just used to face swap. They can also include things like manipulating someone's mouth to make it seem like they're saying something they never did. While a lot of these videos are cool and some are straight-up hilarious, there is a darker side to deep fakes. They can be used to spread misinformation and harass people by making it seem like they've done or said something they never did or never would in the age of fake news.

This is a really big problem and something a lot of people are really worried about. Now, because it could be used to mislead the public, especially when it's applied to somebody in a position of power, Like a politician. Imagine just a few weeks before a major election, a deepfake video comes out with one of the candidates and it turns people's opinions against them and they end up losing the election. One of the most well-known examples is the video made by BuzzFeed about former US President Barack Obama. But luckily you still have your own voice right? 

No, even your voice can be used

Your voice can be covered, used, or even ‘stolen’ in minutes. Thanks to the newer technologies, an imprint of someone's voice can be easily made. All you need to do is say a couple of scripted lines into the program, for the technology to create a complete copy of your voice. One journalist from Bloomberg got a chance to make this imprint of his voice. The AI imposter, with his voice, ended up calling his mum who had no idea she was talking to a robot. Of course, that can seem pretty terrifying to the greater public.

The upside

These tools can also be used for well-being, time management, customer service & even education. Imagine your teacher being able to write out its classes once and let the deepfake teach the class. Or the deepfake doing a flawless presentation to your management. Or even get a sports class from your favorite athlete, right at your home.

We simply believe it is going to change our lives and not perse for the worse. Therefore, we would love to help you with understanding, integrating & starting to love these new techniques in your day-to-day business life.