Fake porn

Deepfake research: presenter finds herself

The problem of deepfakes is often underestimated - victims are often blackmailed with the fakes.

(Bild: thinkstockphotos.de)

So-called deepfakes, in which the faces of mostly prominent people are edited into explicit video recordings, are experiencing a worrying trend, not least since the spread of artificial intelligence. A British reporter wanted to research an article about this - and promptly found herself a victim.

Investigative journalist Cathy Newman reported in The Times that she was actually used to seeing disturbing video footage due to her work. "It was undeniably my face, but it had been expertly superimposed on someone else's naked body," she described her discovery.

Newman "completely dehumanized"
 However, the video she discovered was "a grotesque parody" - for example, her characteristically curly hairstyle was replaced by straight hair. She felt "completely dehumanized" by the video and was shocked at how the still-unknown perpetrator was able to "coerce her into a range of sexual activities" using readily available technology.

Newman and her team didn't actually see themselves as the focus of the research - they initially wanted to use prominent examples such as Taylor Swift, Giorgia Meloni, Jenna Ortega and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to highlight the problem of fake videos. Swift's fake videos alone have now been viewed more than 45 million times online, the journalists write in their report - the five most popular porn sites that specialize in deepfakes have thus achieved almost 100 million views in just three months.

The problem of deepfake porn:

Deepfake porn poses a serious threat to the privacy and reputation of the individuals involved, as it can use AI technologies to create deceptively real but fake videos showing people in pornographic scenes without their consent. This technology also makes it possible to spread false narratives and undermine trust in the media.

Explanation for strange change in hairstyle
The problem is difficult to tackle, even if politicians are already trying, at least to some extent. At the end of March, for example, the EU Commission launched the fight against political misinformation and deepfakes and published corresponding guidelines. In the UK, producers of deepfakes also face criminal prosecution in future.

For Newman, however, this is not enough: "Lawmakers around the world are lagging far behind the technology and the perpetrators who want to use it to abuse women," she said, calling for more commitment. She was able to clarify the strange change in hairstyle in her video during her research - apparently the AI used still has "curls to deal with".