The Disturbing Reality of Fake-Porn Videos: A New Weapon Against Women
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
6/12/20242 min read
These videos, created using advanced artificial intelligence software, seamlessly graft a woman's face onto the body of a pornography actress, resulting in disturbingly realistic but entirely fabricated scenes.
The Impact on Ordinary Women
One victim, a woman in her 40s, recounted her horror upon discovering a deepfake video featuring her face. In the video, she appeared to be participating in a graphic sex scene. The video was shared widely online, leaving her nauseated and mortified. "I feel violated — this icky kind of violation," she said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to protect her marriage and career. The fear of co-workers, family, and friends seeing the video and questioning its authenticity was overwhelming.
The Evolution of Digital Manipulation
Manipulating photos with tools like Photoshop is nothing new, but deepfake videos take this to another level. Powered by sophisticated AI developed by companies like Google, these videos blur the line between reality and fabrication. What started as a technological novelty has quickly become a weapon for online harassment, disproportionately targeting women.
The Celebrity Connection
Even high-profile individuals are not immune. Actress Scarlett Johansson has been superimposed into numerous graphic scenes that have circulated online, with one video alone being viewed over 1.5 million times. Johansson expressed her concerns, stating, "It’s just a matter of time before any one person is targeted by a lurid forgery." She described the internet as a "vast wormhole of darkness" where protecting oneself from such attacks feels impossible.
Legal and Ethical Dilemmas
The legality of deepfake videos is murky. While they might be protected by the First Amendment, they can also constitute defamation, identity theft, or fraud. Google has taken steps to combat this issue by allowing individuals to request the removal of "involuntary synthetic pornographic imagery" from search results. However, this is merely a band-aid solution to a deeper problem.
The Everyday Target
A growing number of deepfakes target women outside the public eye. Users on deepfake forums create these videos for a fee, often using photos from social media. One requester provided 491 photos of a woman's face, taken from her Facebook account, to create a deepfake video. Within two days, a team of creators delivered, celebrating their work online.
A Tool for Misogynists
Deepfake technology, initially too complex for average users, is now accessible to anyone with a computer and a collection of photos. This democratization of technology has created a new avenue for harassment. "With the ability to manufacture pornography, everybody is a potential target," said Adam Dodge, legal director of Laura’s House, a domestic violence shelter.
The Broader Implications
Historically, videos have been a benchmark of authenticity, but deepfakes challenge this perception. As machine-learning technology advances, the creation of fake videos becomes easier, making it a powerful tool for misogynists. Unlike men, who are often depicted in deepfakes for humor, women are overwhelmingly targeted in pornographic contexts, highlighting the pervasive issue of sexual objectification.
Conclusion
The weaponization of deepfake technology against women underscores the grim reality of our digital age. As these disturbingly realistic videos become more prevalent, the potential for harassment and humiliation grows. Addressing this issue requires not only technological solutions but also legal and societal changes to protect individuals from such violations. The internet, while a platform for innovation and connection, also harbors dark corners where technology is misused, turning ordinary lives into potential targets for exploitation and abuse.
Original source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2018/12/30/fake-porn-videos-are-being-weaponized-harass-humiliate-women-everybody-is-potential-target/