KEY: Each One Teach One on DEEP FAKES

Deep fakes took the world by storm because of how realistic an A.I developed fake face could appear while still and in action. What is a "deep fake" and why is it such an issue? A "deep fake" or "deepfake," by definition, is "a video that has been edited using an algorithm to replace the person in the original video with someone else." It's a digitally altered face on a person in a video. Scandals and movie productions have been produced by deep fakes. 

See an example below:

In the above deep fake, the eyes, mouth, nose and even hair and light on the left of the face are all edited. The forehead and cheeks even has edited wrinkles, be that they were added or removed. A similar base facial structure make programming a deep fake over the face of the subject in a video much easier and believable. 

What are the Implications?

There are some good and some bad implications. The good implications are that a movie or TV series can continue on or close the role of a specific actor if there is an unforeseen event that renders the actor in question unable or incapable of participating further in the movie or TV series. Privacy may also be protected depending on the power behind the deep fake's facial and vocal alterations and distortions and alignment in the original video.

However, there are more bad implications. It doesn't matter who you are for a deep fake to affect you negatively. You could be old or young, rich or poor, a majority or minority population, a man or woman, and deep fakes will still have an effect. It's up to the older generations in power to regulate this risky technology.

Starting from the simplest of risks, deep fakes can lead to severe crimes such as blackmail, intimidation, incitement of violence, and heavy influence of ideologies. Deep fakes can also influence your memory due to the repetition of misinformation being spread by a subject with a fake face of someone who is credible. In extreme cases, this severe misinformation and false faces may lead to a compromise in national security and safety, possibly having a butterfly effect on regular society.

Consequences of deep fakes can be defamation of character, reputations being damaged, and real journalism and the journalists themselves could be undermined and lose credibility. 

The question is, could you be next?