Opinion: Why AI-driven video tools have become dangerous

Fake news is already a challenge and now a sudden increase in fake videos online have made the battle all the more difficult. Used as another malicious tool on the Internet, users are now increasingly creating and sharing false videos to report misinformation, manipulate public opinion, and promote false propaganda. 

It has been found that the Internet is now flooded with a lot of artificial intelligence-powered video tools that have made face -swapping in videos easier than ever before. And these video tools are doing the job with such a precision that it could be difficult for anyone to spot if the video is morphed. 

While there are many such online software, FakeApp has gained a lot of momentum over the last few weeks. 

There is no information available as to who created this app, but it has been discovered that the app was designed using a Google software. And ever since it appeared on Reddit early this year, it’s been downloaded more than 120,000 times.

Some of the fake videos created by Youtuber derpfakes using the much-discussed FakeApp includes the Russian president Vladimir Putin; another one features American comedian Kate McKinnon's face swapped with that of Hillary Clinton. In another, American actor Alec Baldwin turned into Donald Trump.

A quick search on the Internet will give you thousands of such results and you could find it difficult to spot the real from the fake.  

These fake videos are now on the rise and it’s becoming a matter of grave concern as these can be used to malign politicians, to create fake porn videos of celebrities, to promote false propaganda, for political sabotage, and to frame people

What is more worrying is that these tools are now within easy reach of basic Internet users. 

Apps like Snapchat are already allowing users basic face swapping, and now these artificial intelligence-driven video tools have made advanced-level face-swapping techniques pretty simple for users like you and me. It’s now just a few taps away. True that the technique still isn’t that simple, but it definitely doesn’t remain rocket science anymore.

While technology has made things easier for us, it has also opened doors for misuse. Companies like Pornhub, Twitter and Reddit have already started to ban false videos on their platforms, but the battle doesn’t end here. 

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)