DEEPFAKE

July 29, 2019

The debate around “deepfakes” has been rekindled recently with the popularity of applications such as FaceApp (for photo-editing).

About: 

  • Meaning: The word Deepfake is made from “deep learning” and “fake”. Deepfake is an Artificial Intelligence (AI) software that superimposes a digital composite on to an existing video (or audio). 

  • Background: The origin of the word “deepfake” can be traced back to 2017 when a Reddit user, with the username “deepfakes”, posted explicit videos of celebrities. 

  • Working: Deepfakes are created by machine learning models, which use neural networks to manipulate images and videos. This model “analyses video footage until it is able algorithmically to transpose the ‘skin’ of one human face on to the movements of another. 

  • Recent Controversy: 
    • The debate around “deepfakes” has been rekindled recently with the popularity of applications such as FaceApp (for photo-editing) and DeepNude ( that produces fake nudes of women). 

    • In June this year, a deepfake video surfaced that showed Mark Zuckerberg saying that he is in total control of the stolen data of billions of people.