Rocket, Charlie. Keanu Reeves. October 4, 2013. Retrieved via
Once again, technology is rapidly advancing and people are finding new ways to use it…or maybe abuse it. Deepfake technology is being used in more and more videos to insert people in and to change videos and films. Whether this is for fun or just to make some people upset is unclear. But if this ends up on the wrong hands, it could do some serious damage in far worse ways than inserting actors into movies they were never in.
According to Ghast Lee (sickchirpse.com), if these Deepfake videos make it onto smartphones as an app, then all someone will need is “one picture of you to do it” (sickchirpse.com 1). Lee also warns that “In a few years time it will be you starring in Scarface, or Coronation Street, or transgender porn, or whatever your mates decide you will star in” (sickchirpse.com 1). If anyone can just insert an actor into a movie they were never in, like with Keanu Reeves, then pretty soon Lee is probably right that a smartphone app is not far behind. Pretty soon, without your permission, you will be added into any kind of videos and you will have no way or knowing until its too late and they’re already out there. That is extremely scary to think about.
Watch the Keanu Reeves ‘Scarface’ Deepfake video here
The problem with this Deepfake technology is that fairly soon anyone will be able to use it and it will not always be in the best interest for them to do so. But they think it is all in having fun so how can it really do any harm? Well it really can. Bloomberg posted a video and story that shows just how easy it is to create a Deepfake. Also, it is getting harder to recognize when these are Deepfake videos or if they are actually genuine. Soon, nothing will be real and everything will be fake and visa versa. It will be so hard to know! Walking around in public will mean you never know who is taking a picture of you and then inserting you into all kinds of situations that you never gave your consent for. It is a dangerous trend we are getting close to. Videos like the Keanu Reeves one are innocent enough but where these are leading to is very frightening.
More Deepfakes:
Here is a video of Steve Buscemi’s face on Jennifer Lawrence and a video of Keanu Reeeves, this time as Bruce Lee
