“You Won’t Believe What Obama Says In This Video!” It turns out that you shouldn’t believe what Barack Obama says in the linked video because he didn’t actually say it. The video reveals that the voice is that of filmmaker Jordan Peele and the video has been altered to make it appear that the words are coming from Obama’s mouth.
The video is a deepfake. Deepfake describes “the recreation of a human’s appearance or voice through artificial intelligence.” According to How-To Geek, “just about anyone can create a deepfake with a crappy PC, some software, and a few hours of work.”
Although deepfakes have been used for entertaining purposes, (such as putting Nicholas Cage into movies ranging from Raiders of the Lost Ark to The Wizard of Oz) the potential for real harm exists. What if a damaging video is used to sway votes in an election or incite violence against a group of people? Harm is already being done by creating deepfake porn videos that put a celebrity’s face into a porn film or creating revenge porn featuring ex-girlfriends or even children.
The truly scary part is that almost anyone with a computer and some readily-available software can easily create deepfakes. And detecting them is not easy. Poorly-made deepfakes can be discerned by the naked eye. Digital forensics can identify more sophisticated deepfakes; however, the same artificial intelligence that created the deepfakes in the first place can be used to evade forensic techniques.
As is true in many areas, the law has not yet caught up with the technology. Texas is the first state to bar deepfakes designed to affect the outcome of an election. Texas Senate Bill 751 (SB751) amended the state’s election code to criminalize deepfake videos created “with intent to injure a candidate or influence the result of an election” and which are “published and distributed within 30 days of an election.” While it is likely that a complete ban of deepfakes would violate constitutional free speech guarantees, this narrow definition may pass muster. Other states have since enacted, or are currently considering, similar bans. Additionally, deepfakes may violate existing revenge porn laws.
Deepfakes are another example of why everything you see and hear should be viewed with caution and discernment.
