Unmasking Deepfake Menace: A Comprehensive Analysis of AI-Based Manipulation
THE LAWWAY WITH LAWYERS VOLUME:-1 ISSUE NO:- 1 , JULY 25, 2023 Name of the author– Arpita Ananya Mohapatra Year of study and programme enrolled– 5th year, BA LLB (Hons) University– Madhusudan Law University, Odisha Email Address– arpita.ananya00@gmail.com Theme– Cyber Crime and Emerging Technologies Sub-topic– Deepfake Technology Title of the article– Unmasking Deepfake Menace: A Comprehensive Analysis of AI-Based Manipulation Unmasking Deepfake Menace: A Comprehensive Analysis of AI-Based Manipulation Abstract Deepfake technology has emerged as a concerning phenomenon in the digital age, enabling the creation of highly realistic and deceptive media through artificial intelligence techniques. This article explores the background and prevalence of deepfakes, delving into their design using advanced AI models such as Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs), Autoencoders, and First Order Motion Model. Notable deepfake incidents involving prominent figures like Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Kim Jong-un are discussed, highlighting the potential real-world impacts. This article explores the legal and ethical challenges posed by the rise of deepfakes. It delves into the legal frameworks surrounding deepfake technology, analyzes the ethical implications of their creation and use, examines existing responses, and proposes strategies for addressing their challenges. By reviewing the multidimensional aspects of deepfakes, this article seeks to contribute to the ongoing discourse on managing their impact in the digital age. By adopting a multi-pronged approach and continually adapting to the evolving nature of deepfake technology, society can protect itself from the adverse effects of deepfakes and preserve the integrity of digital information and media content in the digital era. KEYWORDS: Deepfake technology, AI-based manipulation, Privacy violations, Detection technology I. Introduction Deepfake technology, a portmanteau of “deep learning” and “fake,” has rapidly emerged as a concerning phenomenon in the digital age. Deepfakes refer to manipulated digital media, often videos, that use artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to create highly realistic and deceptive content. These sophisticated manipulations involve replacing or superimposing someone’s face onto another person’s body, resulting in genuine and convincing videos. Deepfake technology emerged in the 1990s through academic research and later gained popularity among online enthusiasts. A significant project known as the Video Rewrite program, published in 1997, modified the existing video footage of an individual speaking to depict that person mouthing the words in a different audio track.1 The Reddit community r/deepfakes played a significant role as the term ‘deepfakes’ was coined in 2017 by a Reddit user named “deepfakes”.2 As deepfakes gained traction, larger companies also adopted the technology to generate corporate training videos featuring deepfaked avatars and voices. Synthesia uses deepfake technology with avatars to generate customized videos is a prime example in this regard.3 Moreover, the technology has the potential to resurrect the likeness of deceased individuals, further blurring the lines between reality and manipulated content. 1 Bregler, Christoph; Covell, Michele; Slaney, Malcolm: “Video Rewrite: Driving Visual Speech with Audio“, ACM Digital Library (13th of July, 2023, 10:53 AM), https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/258734.258880 2 Eyerys, A Reddit User Starts ‘Deepfake’ (last visited 12th of July, 2023) 3 Chandler, Simon, “Why Deepfakes Are A Net Positive For Humanity“, Forbes (13th of July, 2023, 6:34 PM), https://www.forbes.com/ II. Technology and Tools Used to Create Deepfakes The most commonly used machine learning models to create deepfakes are: Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs): GANs consist of two neutral networks; a generator and a While the generator network creates synthetic data, such as a synthetic image that resembles the actual data provided in the output, the discriminator network assesses the authenticity of the synthetic data. It provides feedback to the generator on how to improve its output. After multiple repetitions, this process continues until the generator produces highly realistic synthetic data that is difficult to distinguish from the actual data. Autoencoders: Autoencoder is an unsupervised neural network capable of reducing the dimensionality of raw data and generating an output that replicates the Autoencoders comprise encoders and decoders. When data is input into the first layer, known as the input layer, of the autoencoder’s neural network, the encoder compresses the data and forwards it to the decoder. The decoder’s role is to reconstruct the original data. They help encode and decode facial features in a compressed form, making it easier to manipulate and create deepfake content. Examples of notable deepfakes incidents Barack Obama: On the 17th of April, 2018, a deepfake video of Barack Obama was posted on YouTube, where Barack Obama was seen cursing and calling Donald Trump names.4 This video is intended to portray the horror of deepfakes. Donald Trump: On the 5th of May, 2019, a deepfake video of Donald Trump was posted on YouTube, based on a skit Jimmy Fallon performed on NBC’s The Tonight 5 In the original comedy sketch, Jimmy Fallon portrayed Donald Trump and engaged in a phone call with Barack Obama, where he humorously boasted about his victory in Indiana. In the deepfake version, Deepfakes transformed Jimmy Fallon’s face to resemble Trump’s face while keeping the audio unchanged to create humour and amusement. Kim Jong-un and Vladimir Putin: On the 29th of September, 2020, deepfakes of the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and the Russian President Vladimir Putin were uploaded on YouTube, created by a nonpartisan advocacy group RepresentUs.6 The deepfake videos featuring Kim and Putin were intended to be publicly aired as commercials, aiming to convey that interference by these leaders in US elections would have adverse consequences for American democracy. Pope Francis: In March 2023, an anonymous construction worker from Chicago used Midjourney to create a fake image of Pope Francis in a white Balenciaga puffer jacket, which went viral, receiving over twenty million views.7 4 Fagan, Kaylee. “A viral video that appeared to show Obama calling Trump a ‘dips—‘ shows a disturbing new trend called deepfakes”, Business Insider India (the 12th of July, 2023, 4:10 PM), https://www.businessinsider.in/ 5 The Guardian, “The rise of the deepfake” (last visited 12th of July, 2023) 6 MIT Technology Review, “Deepfake Putin” (last visited 17th of July, 2023)