Ah, deepfake. The kind of technology that makes you say, “Uh, wasn’t that her in the video?” We have been following the trend for a long time and the last “purchase” – Jamie Yeoh. Singaporean actress, model and former radio DJ Jamie decided to ride the wave and landed a (lucrative) deal to clone herself virtually.
This doesn’t remind you of the latest episode of Black Mirror with Salma Hayek (I won’t spoil you)? In the new Charlie Brooker series, the Mexican actress plays a fictionalized version of herself after giving her persona to a production company. And things don’t go exactly as planned. Well, but it’s fantasy, right? RIGHT?
clone to believe
It was said about Jamie Yeoh. The actress has just signed a contract with Hugosave, a financial technology company. What is it about? Pretty simple. Jamie spends a few hours in front of the green screen and a few more hours in the recording studio. Stop. End. His digital alter ego is born, which can say almost everything. And the results are impressive.
Recently also model Eva Herzigova she greatly expanded her modeling career by being cloned via deepfake. A profitable trick that will allow her to take care of her loved ones and family while continuing to flaunt her virtual copy.
And these are not the only cases. Even a football player Lionel Messi allowed PepsiCo to use a fake version of itself to advertise Lay’s potato chips. And we’re not just talking about Messi. Also David Beckham AND Bruce Willis they flirted with deepfake technology.
So everyone is happy? No.
In fact, not everyone is as enthusiastic as Eva and Jamie. Concerns about the use of AI have led to The first strike of Hollywood actors for over forty years now (which has been going on without any progress). The Union of Actors sounded the alarm: the practice of cloning actors and extras with artificial intelligence can pose a deadly threat to these creative professions.
However, many marketers and technology experts predict that deepfake will become standard practice in the advertising industry. As always, there is a downside. Technology has a “dark side” and the advertising industry needs to be aware of the risks.
Clone yes, clone no
“Selling your face” to the entertainment industry, if you do not look closely at the “fine edges” of contracts, risks becoming a nightmare. Imagine an actor beloved by children who, decades after his death, also begins to “take part” in horror films or porn videos, completely distorting the values he embodies.
Is this a moral or legal issue? Los Dos. Of course, legally there are no clear AI-related laws to ensure that anyone’s image (VIP or not) is properly protected. We are in uncharted territory when it comes to artificial intelligence and deepfake technology.
Jamie is aware of the risks, she says. Of course money played a part, but her decision was mostly driven by trust. After all, he says, it’s about keeping up with the times. If you want to stay in the game, you must learn how to play. Otherwise, it’s time to hang up your boots.
It depends, Jamie. Depends on what they “make you do”.