Why is Tom Cruise Deepfake trending on TikTok?
WE all know that Tiktok is home to some weird and wonderful content - but a concerning new trend of 'deepfakes' has begun on the platform.
This time, the victim in question is , who has been the subject of a number of viral videos.
Why is Tom Cruise Deepfake trending on TikTok?
TikTok user ‘deeptomcruise’ has made several deepfake videos of actor that are now gaining views on the app.
They have become so popular due to how accurate the videos appear.
In the videos, 'Tom' can be seen playing golf, playing magic tricks and tripping over.
Users have been stunned by the videos.
One commented: “One of the best deepfakes I’ve ever seen,
“The voice is really good too, could be artificial as well.”
Another wrote: "These deepfakes are getting worryingly good. How the heck can we trust what we see on TV.”
What are the viral Tom Crusie Deepfake TikToks?
On February 26, 2021, user ‘deeptomcruise’ had only posted three videos so far, but the initial video they posted showed Tom Cruise playing golf and has accumulated over five million views already.
It appears the account has since been deleted.
He speaks to the camera briefly before moving away to tee off.
Despite the account's name, viewers have been bemused by how real the video looks - some even think it is Cruise himself.
One commented: "This is definitely Tom Cruise.";
Another asked: "How is this not Tom Cruise?"
What is a Deepfake and what does it mean?
Deepfake videos are made using artificial intelligence technology which can manipulate someone's face in a video to make it look like they are saying something that they didn't.
It's one level up from dubbing, or lip syncing and can appear very convincing.
They have also been used by malicious people to make fake porn videos that feature the faces of celebrities or ex-lovers.
They use porn clips featuring a porn star that looks like a particular actress then feed an app with hundreds or even thousands of photos of the victim's face.
The end result is a realistic-looking X-rated video of said celebrity.
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There's rising concern among experts that convincing deepfakes could be used to spread misinformation on social media.
Canada’s cybersecurity agency, The Communications Securities Establishment, recently warned that deepfakes pose a threat to modern democracy.
"Improvements in artificial intelligence (AI) are likely to enable interference activity to become increasingly powerful, precise and cost-effective," it wrote in a report on cyber threats.
What have social media companies said about the videos?
When the Zuckerberg deepfake emerged in 2017, Instagram resisted calls to take the clip down.
Speaking at the time, head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, 36, said removing the doctored clips would have been "inappropriate".
"I don't feel good about it," he told CBS.
He added that there's no hurry to delete the videos, in part because "the damage is done".
Mosseri said Instagram hasn't taken down the videos because the company hasn't yet come up with an official policy on AI-altered video.
"We don't have a policy against deepfakes currently," he told CBS.
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"We are trying to evaluate if we wanted to do that and if so, how you would define deepfakes.
"If a million people see a video like that in the first 24 hours or the first 48 hours, the damage is done. So that conversation, though very important, currently, is moot."