DeepFakes: What are those? Why are they considered Dangerous?

Deepfakes, or face-swap videos, are video or images that use machine learning to create and manipulate visuals of people or events. The most famous example is the celebrity deepfake videos which are so realistic that viewers can’t tell them apart from the real thing. Deepfake is a still relatively new technology that can create highly convincing videos of people saying or doing things they never did. This has many potential uses, from the creation of realistic celebrity videos to fake news. However, it is still very early in the life of this technology and a lot of people are worried about how it can be used for evil. We can expect this technology to affect many people in the coming years, and here are three examples of how you might be affected. But because the videos are so realistic, they are also being used to distort reality. So, here’s everything you need to know about deepfake technology.

What are deepfakes?

Deepfakes are videos or photos that have been manipulated so that they look and sound real. They can be even more realistic than the real thing because the user adds virtual elements to the videos. These virtual elements include skin, hair, eye color, nose shape and even beards and eyebrows. Deepfake is a portmanteau of “deepfake” and “deep neural network.” Deep neural networks can be used for image or facial recognition, speech recognition, or even cancer therapy. The technology is so advanced that a deepfake video made with artificial intelligence is just a few minutes of work. Honeypot robots This type of technology has been used to distract people from spies, trolls and fraudsters. Deepfakes are fake video and images that are created using a machine learning algorithm.

History of deepfakes

When Machine learning first became widely available a decade ago, the technology was often used in a positive way. For example, Deepfakes recently helped Droga5, a US advertising firm, produce a commercial promoting gender equality. Deepfakes captured videos of professional female speakers who were participating in public talks. The company then matched the footage to the voice of a real female, making the videos look like a real debate between a range of female leaders. With the recent rise of artificial intelligence and deep learning, there’s been an explosion of people trying to use this technology for nefarious purposes, particularly in the last five years. In 2017, Twitter blocked around 70 percent of requests to its internal deepfake-detection tool, according to the Guardian.

Applications and Dangers of deep fake technology

Deepfake technology has many potential uses, ranging from filming the upcoming sci-fi film Ready Player One to designing video games to creating fake pornography. It is too early to tell what all deepfakes will eventually be used for, but one thing is clear, they are already being used for evil. Psychological abuse and media manipulation One of the most dangerous applications of deepfake technology is in the hands of abusers who use it to psychologically abuse their partners. The fake celebrity videos are very convincing, which makes it easy to know that you are being watched by a real celebrity. Abuse cases have been reported by couples using deepfake technology. The videos are effective in breaking down the trust in a relationship, which can cause psychological damage.

Education

So far, deepfake technology has been used mainly in the entertainment industry, and this may well continue. However, deepfake technology could also have a place in educational institutions as a way of teaching complex concepts like negotiation, politics, or history. Using deepfakes and artificial intelligence (AI) technology, teachers could show you the fake versions of yourself or the person you’re talking to as part of your lesson. Imagine if a deepfake version of Donald Trump gave a speech in which he said something completely different to the original version of Trump. A teacher who showed you this version of Trump would be able to show you the real version of Trump when you had the opportunity to ask him about it.

Fake News

Fake news is not new, and it has been used throughout history to sow confusion and division. One of the earliest recorded instances was the Roman emperor Nero supposedly killing his own brother as a way to throw his enemies off balance and keep them off guard. Today, fake news is still used to mislead people and disrupt political, business, and social activity. In a similar way, fake videos that depict real events or show real people saying and doing things they never did could be used to sow confusion and doubt. And the fake news industry is already trying. Earlier this year, Project Veritas, a media organization, released a video of a Deepfake of Sen. Chuck Schumer making statements on tape that he did not actually make.

Fake Video

The first version of deepfake technology was used to create a video in which a young Thai actor was replaced with President Trump. The manipulated video was widely spread around social media and has received wide mainstream coverage. Other videos have been circulated in which the actress from the original video says the President is real, but the President says he is fake. In some cases, videos have been created of actresses saying they were raped by celebrities or news anchors. The technology has also been used to create videos of video game characters being killed and even video of a tiger attacking a young man.

Facial Recognition

Technology companies have been researching ways to replace your face in images that people can recognize. In the past, we’ve discussed how Facebook uses AI to help you capture your profile pictures, and that they are studying how to detect your face in selfies. Facebook is also using deepfake technology to create a mask of your face so you can share it with your friends. In addition to Facebook, Alibaba and Alibaba subsidiary Nuomi also use deepfakes for their facial recognition technology. The really scary thing is that deepfake technology is so good that some researchers are concerned that it can be used for nefarious purposes.

How deepfakes are being used to distort reality

The first and most obvious reason for concern is when fake news videos are spread around the web. These videos can be used to distort political discussions, spread misinformation, and undermine trust in the media. What’s more, they can be incredibly convincing. One type of deepfake uses a “super-enhanced” video of someone saying or doing something to show that the real video matches up to the super-enhanced video. This type of fake video is so convincing that it can even fool some people’s brains into thinking it is real. These are the videos that went viral recently: Finally, a proof of concept video was created of Hillary Clinton appearing to say that she was a secret agent. Another form of deepfakes uses this technology to simulate voice sounds.