Other faces of the controversy
The digital resurrection has become so common that the impact is diminishing. This was not the case when the practice began in the early 1990s, first with advertising commercials that incorporated digital versions of actors who died several years ago, such as Humphrey Bogart or Fred Astaire, and with such outstanding results that some sectors of the industry feared it would be replaced by the old legends in CGI version.
The trend soon jumped to the cinema, first to replace actors whose deaths left filming unfinished, as was the case of Brandon Lee in The Raven (1994), later to incorporate in all kinds of roles those who were no longer with us. Such was the case of Laurence Olivier in Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004), Marlon Brando in superman returns (2006) and Peter Cushing in rogue one (2016). The next to receive this treatment will be James Dean for find jackwho will have the opportunity to play a role allegedly created for him almost 70 years after his death.
The Mexican industry has not been immune to the practice of digital resurrection, with Cantinflas being the first to be subjected to deepfake technology for a commercial for a supermarket chain.. Although the realization of all these projects requires the direct approval of relatives, it is common to hear all kinds of debates about the way in which they profit from the dead, who are brought back to the screen not to honor their legacy, but for sale. of the most banal products.
But the deceased have not been the only victims of these advances, the living also suffer from them repeatedly. There are many public figures, actors, actresses, athletes, politicians… whose faces have been manipulated for different purposes.
The first is entertainment with digital rejuvenation, being the young Luke Skywalker from The Mandalorian (2019) and The Book of Boba Fett (2021) the best example of recent years, since it allows a direct connection with the original character without the need for recasts. It works when it is done under certain guidelines, but not when those involved are excluded. as happened with Carrie Fisher who was not even considered to play herself in rogue one.
There’s also the absurd, like the @DeepTomCruise TikTok account that focuses on deepfake videos of Tom Cruise. His posts are not intended to harm anyone, but with 3.4 million followers who regularly viralize his content one can’t help but wonder how many people end up falling for the hoaxes, something that could invariably have repercussions on the actor’s account. More absurd is the case of the different parodied celebrities, such as the video that is currently circulating on networks and that shows Lionel Messi singing “I have everything except you” to refer to his failures in the World Cup.
Less hilarious are the cases of the countless personalities who have jumped into pornography by digitally replacing their faces. Statistics indicate that 96% of these videos include female celebrities who are placed in explicit videos without their consent. They are not the only ones affected, as there are more and more blackmails that use this technology.
The situation even becomes dangerous when it reaches the public sphere. There are many informants from different countries of the world who have been subjected to deepfake to show them saying false news, sometimes for a simple satire and in others with the full intention of misinforming the audience. Case similar to that of politicians, with digital manipulations so well achieved that they have come to deceive their counterparts in other countries of the world. Situations that could have serious consequences for the national security of the countries involved in the deception.
The war between Russia and Ukraine has left several from both sides. Among the most famous, but also more serious, are that of Vladimir Putin declaring peace between nations and that of Volodymyr Zelenskyy ordering the surrender of his troops. The latter was especially dangerous because it was broadcast on hacked Ukrainian networks, causing enormous confusion among the inhabitants of the invaded town. The authorities were unable to locate the person responsible for its creation and distribution, but it is anticipated that it was the work of a Russian specialist entrusted with the mission of disinforming the enemy. For its part, many analysts around the world have used it as an example to inform people about how to identify a deepfake and to warn of the serious consequences of a technology that seems to be getting more and more out of control.
With everything and its countless controversies, this advance could have found a new function: the resolution of impossible crimes. A use as debatable as many others, but at least it has a more laudable purpose than all those described above. Authorities involved in the Sedar Soares murder investigation say they have received dozens of calls with information since the video began circulating. It is still early to say if these will lead to the resolution of the case, but it invites us to think that the deepfake, for the first time in a long time, it will not be used to disturb the dead, but to help them rest.