The union representing Hollywood actors has issued a statement claiming it is “fighting back” against the so-called Deepfakes face swapping technology.
The tech, which rose to prominence on Reddit, uses a simple programme to superimpose the faces of famous actors and actresses on to the bodies of porn stars.
The subreddit used for sharing Deepfakes has been banned, while many video hosting sites have outlawed such content. Even the likes of PornHub has banned the Deepfakes videos.
However, the videos are still gaining prominence online and, as a result, the Screen Actors Guild says it is focused on clamping down on the AI-baseed clips.
“We are closely watching the development of so-called deepfakes,” SAG-AFTRA president Gabrielle Carteris said (via Deadline).
“This artificial intelligence tool has the ability to steal our images and superimpose them onto another person’s body in potentially unpleasant and inappropriate digital forms. SAG-AFTRA is focused on these emerging processes and fighting back when the technology infringes on our members’ rights.”
Legislation incoming
In the new issue of the union’s official magazine, the SAG said new laws should be passed to protect its members against the tech. It says it is prepared to take legal action against any party illicitly using members’ likenesses.
“We want to protect our members from the unauthorized use of their persona, including their digital replica, in advertisements, products, merchandise, company branding, fake news, movies, video games, or pornography,” the spokesperson added.
Actresses like Daisy Ridley, Sophie Turner, Emma Watson and Natalie Dormer have been affected by the Deepfakes craze, while the mug of Nicolas Cage has been plastered upon pretty much everything.
Deepfakes aren’t all disgusting though.
Although it’s no less concerning, Jordan Peele teamed up with Buzzfeed this week to make it appear as if Barack Obama called Donald Trump a “a total and complete dipshit.”
Do you think the Deepfakes craze can be contained? Drop us a line @TrustedReviews on Twitter.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
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We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.