Being Tom Cruise Is Easy
Deepfake technology may be destroying society one celebrity at a time
Deepfake technology, machine learning software that anyone can use to create false images and videos of people and events, has evolved so much since its rudimentary introduction in 2017 that most humans (and computers) can now be easily tricked into believing its true. It will rapidly emerge as the most significant fake news threat to modern society.
Just ask Tom Cruise.
Based on an analysis from the excellent News Literacy Project, a recently created TicToc account, @deeptomcruise, posted a series of three videos in late February that demonstrate the shocking sophistication of deepfake technology. In each of the videos, the technology appears to have seamlessly mapped the face of Tom Cruise onto that of an actor performing some act. Though several indicators, including the name of the TicToc account and some hyperbolic impersonation of well-known Cruise mannerisms, point to the video being fake, the visual effects look flawless to the human eye and would easily fool anyone.
Like many new technologies, the potential of deep fakes has likely been tested most in the online porn industry. The Guardian reported that 96% of online deep fake videos found in September 2019 by one firm were pornography, with a…
