diff --git a/entries/other/Deepfakes.md b/entries/other/Deepfakes.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..1558a5e --- /dev/null +++ b/entries/other/Deepfakes.md @@ -0,0 +1,62 @@ +What are Deepfakes +================== + +We all know that you can do silly face swaps with snap chat and other apps. +Previously face swapping faces on videos was terrible because you simply +sequentially swapped all the faces frame by frame. As a result, the quality was +very poor and did not handle head movements well. A Reddit user by the name of +Deepfake created a recurrent neural net which accurately face swaps videos. +Deepfake(the user) initially gathered a following by swapping celebrity faces +onto porn videos. + +Reddit has banned Deepfake and Pornhub has banned deepfakes from their +platforms. Despite the attempts to remove fake deepfake videos, they are +currently all over the internet. + +How Can You Make Deepfakes +========================== + +Deepfake created FakeApp which allows anybody to use his technology to make +deepfake videos. The website [FakeApp](https://www.fakeapp.org/) contains both +downloads and tutorials for anybody who is interested in using this technology. +Recurrent neural nets are very computational heavy and will take you about a day +of GPU power to generate a good deepfake. + +Moral Outrage +============= + +There internet is currently in an uproar over this topic. In most cases is +obvious which videos are deep faked, however, that can change in a few years – +or even months. How do we prove that a video is credible if it could be faked +convincingly? It is not unforeseeable that in the future someone will try to use +this technology to blackmail a politician and smear their campaign. + +Where do you draw the line between satire and freedom of speech? Most people +argue that we should ban the use of deepfakes on any video that does not have +the consent of the two people being swapped. However, is it fair to apply that +rule to memes involving Nicholas Cage? + +It is worth mentioning that there are very little laws that can be used +regarding deepfaked content. If the content is seen as harassment, damaging, or +violates copyright it is clearly illegal. But, besides that, there are very +little laws regulating this new realm. + +Future Applications +=================== + +This technology may seem creepy and offsetting – especially when you are only +considering it for face swapping celebrities on porn. The applications of this +technology are limitless. Consider the movie industry, recurrent neural net +technology may be used to enhance CGI. 3D modeling in video games could also use +this technology to create more realistic graphics. + +Conclusion +========== + +Don’t blame or ban the technology. There will always be people who misuse the +technology, but, the benefits of such technologies outweigh the negative +consequences. + +Deep recurrent neural nets are here to stay. I foresee that in the near future +we will have a neural net which can generate audio which sounds like someone +else.