UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson Deepfake Election Meddling

As the UK finds itself in the midst of a polarizing general election, the political landscape takes an unexpected turn with the emergence of deepfake videos featuring Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn. Digital artist Bill Posters, known for his previous deepfake creations involving figures like Mark Zuckerberg and celebrities, collaborates with Future Advocacy to release videos where the political rivals appear to endorse each other. Despite the realistic nature of these deepfakes, the creators emphasize their intent to raise awareness about the dangers of misinformation and deepfake technology.

Posters, who advocates for stricter regulations on online content, argues that the recent ban on political advertising by Twitter indicates the need for similar action from other platforms. However, experts warn against potential disadvantages, emphasizing that legislative attempts to control deepfakes could impede free speech online. The controversy surrounding these deepfakes unfolds against the backdrop of a broader debate about the real-world impact of such manipulated content, with studies revealing that the primary victims of malicious deepfakes are women in non-consensual porn—a stark contrast to the attention-grabbing but hypothetical concerns of political deepfakes. Despite criticism, Posters maintains that his creations serve a larger purpose by challenging public understanding of how personal data is wielded by powerful technologies and urging lawmakers to establish comprehensive privacy safeguards.

Deepfake Taylor Swift Speaks Mandarin

Taylor Swift captivates Chinese audiences by effortlessly speaking fluent Mandarin. The AI-generated clips, crafted with technology from Chinese startup HeyGen, depict Swift engaging in a talk show conversation about her recent travels and musical inspirations—all while flawlessly syncing her Mandarin speech with her lip movements. The video quickly went viral, accumulating millions of views on social media platforms and prompting widespread discussion about the potential ramifications of AI dubbing technology.

While many Chinese citizens marveled at the realism of the deepfake, concerns about its misuse surfaced. Some expressed worry about the technology being employed for deceptive purposes, such as creating convincing fake news. The ability of AI to simulate both voice and mouth movements raised fears about the ease with which people might be misled. Despite these apprehensions people remain optimistic by suggesting creative applications, such as translating and dubbing entire television series. The video captures the ongoing debate around the ethical use of deepfake technology and the challenges of regulation in the face of its rapidly advancing capabilities. In China laws regarding deepfakes are already in effect. Recent regulations mandate the labeling of AI-altered content and the collection of consent from individuals depicted, reflecting efforts to address concerns about misinformation and privacy. However, the enforcement of these rules remains an ongoing challenge.

David Beckham Uses Deepfake Technology for Good

In a global campaign, Deepfake David Beckham lends his voice to the fight against malaria, delivering a multilingual appeal in nine languages using controversial deepfake voice technology. The 55-second spot by charity Malaria No More, titled “Malaria must die, so millions can live,” skillfully employs video synthesis technology from UK company Synthesia to make Beckham’s appeal appear seamlessly multilingual. While the campaign aims to raise awareness for the world’s first voice petition against malaria ahead of the Global Fund Replenishment Conference in October, Synthesia’s deepfake technology has raised concerns about its potential misuse, with fears that it could be employed to doctor videos of politicians or newsreaders for fraudulent purposes.

Beckham, a founding member of Malaria No More’s UK leadership council and a Unicef goodwill ambassador, speaks passionately in the campaign, representing diverse voices from around the globe, including malaria survivors and doctors fighting the disease. Despite the innovative use of artificial intelligence in video synthesis, the technology’s potential dark side overshadows worries expressed by politicians about the threat of deepfakes to democracy. The campaign, created by R/GA London, encourages people to add their voices to the petition, emphasizing the power of voice as a medium to draw attention to one of the world’s oldest and deadliest diseases.

Where Do We Find This Stuff? Here Are Our Sources:

Kylie Jenner Deepfake: https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/article/kylie-jenner-tiktok-lookalike deepfake

Morgan Freeman Deepfake: https://www.creativebloq.com/news/morgan-freeman-deepfake

Tom Cruise Deepfake: https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/06/tech/tom-cruise-deepfake-tiktok-company/index.html

Volodymyr Zelenskyy Deepfake: https://www.npr.org/2022/03/16/1087062648/deepfake-video-zelenskyy-experts-war-manipulation-ukraine-russia deepfake

Nancy Pelosi Deepfake: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/doctored-nancy-pelosi-video-highlights-threat-of-deepfake-tech-2019-05-25/

Mark Zuckerberg Deepfake: https://www.vice.com/en/article/ywyxex/deepfake-of-mark-zuckerberg-facebook-fake-video-policy

Former President Obama Deepfake: https://www.vox.com/2018/4/18/17252410/jordan-peele-obama-deepfake-buzzfeed

Queen Elizabeth Deepfake: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/dec/24/channel-4-under-fire-for-deepfake-queen-christmas-message

Scarlettt Johansson Deepfake: https://www.vulture.com/2018/12/scarlett-johansson-ruminates-on-deepfake-porn-of-her-image.html

Emma Watson Deepfake: https://www.thedrum.com/news/2023/03/08/after-emma-watson-deepfake-ad-scandal-experts-share-risks-and-rewards-synthetic

Joe Rogan Deepfake: https://mashable.com/article/joe-rogan-tiktok-deepfake-ad

Tom Hanks Deepfake: https://www.kcra.com/article/tom-hanks-ai-dental-video-ad/45415149

MrBeast Deepfake: https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/mrbeast-ai-tiktok-ad-deepfake-rcna118596

Robert Pattinson Deepfake: https://www.insider.com/tiktok-robert-pattinson-dancing-deep-fakes-people-believed-2023-1

Kim Kardashian Deepfake: https://www.vice.com/en/article/j5wngd/kim-kardashian-deepfake-mark-zuckerberg-facebook-youtube

Boris Johnson Deepfake: https://www.vice.com/en/article/8xwjkp/deepfake-of-boris-johnson-wants-to-warn-you-about-deepfakes

Taylor Swift Deepfake: https://radii.co/article/taylor-swift-deepfake-video

David Beckham Deepfake: https://www.campaignlive.com/article/deepfake-voice-tech-used-good-david-beckham-malaria-campaign/1581378