What is Deepfake and Why It can be Dangerous

Surely you are beginning to hear this term: deepfake. Although the word has been around for a long time, it has not been until these last years when it has become popular thanks to the ease with which one can be made. If you want to know more about it, we tell you what deepfake is and why it can be dangerous.

What is Deepfake?

After the word deepfake there are two terms in English that can already give some clue: deep, which means "deep", and fake, which becomes "copy" or "counterfeit / false." Therefore, if we join both words, we have one that could be translated as "deep forgery" or, "super-false" or "ultra-false".

Deepfake
Deepfake

The deepfake refers to an artificial intelligence technique that allows replacing the faces of some people with completely different ones. In this way, the face that appears on the screen is not that person's, but that of another that has nothing to do with it.

We had a good example of this with Carrie Fisher in Star Wars. The actress had already passed away for Episode VIII, so an actress was taken to perform her role, and then she put on Carrie Fisher's face.

Star Wars
Star Wars

Why is it Dangerous

The deepfake is already sowing complications between authorities and justice. After all, thanks to this technique, one person's face can be replaced by another. What if someone commits a robbery and puts on another's face? This is just one of the questions that comes for the future, but there are many more.

For example, deepfake is putting many celebrities in check. Last year it was rumored that several videos of actresses having sex with their partners had been leaked. However, the reality is that those videos were not real, that is, there were two characters having sex, yes, but they had exchanged faces for those of well-known actresses. This is the full-fledged deepfake.

Although there is still a lot of fabric to cut, it is expected that for the future fakes through artificial intelligence break into our day to day. When that happens, it is best to be aware of whether you can see that the video in question is false. A new way to communicate fake news.