Concerns about the spread of deepfake videos featuring personalities as endorsers were raised in an online community.
A Reddit user on Sunday, November 23, shared a screengrab of an Instagram advertisement that appeared to use the face of Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto.
The Reddit user claimed that the ad promoted “illegal gambling” and falsely depicted Sotto as its “endorser.”
“If it were not for his reputation [and] slightly off na lip sync, it would easily look like it was recorded from his phone,” the Redditor said in the “r/Philippines” community.
The screengrab showed a series of online betting games alongside an image of Sotto.
The Redditor expressed concern over the use of what appeared to be a deepfake video of a public official to make it seem as though he were endorsing the betting games.
“It’s alarming how this tech is evolving fast, at kung anong pwedeng gawin nito; not just in politics, kundi pati sa krimen na kahit sino pwedeng mabiktima,” the Reddit user wrote.
“Imagine, ma-deepfake mukha mo tapos gamitin ‘yun to bypass face recognition ng phone or banking apps mo, or worse, apply for online loans,” the Redditor added.
Deepfakes are getting harder to spot.
byu/AngeloEranoManalo inPhilippines
Earlier this month, Sotto warned the public about AI-generated videos using his face and voice to promote various “scams.”
“FOR THE RECORD, I DO NOT ENDORSE ANYTHING. ESPECIALLY NOT THESE SCAMS. Pati si Mama, nagamit na rin sa mga scam, sa health products naman. Alam ko marami pang ibang biktima ng mga A.I. fakes,” he previously said.
“Mama” refers to veteran actress Coney Reyes, his mother.
Meanwhile, other Redditors shared their own experiences and encounters with deepfakes in the comments section.
“The ads I see are all crypto endorsements by politicians, and yes, some are pretty good. I don’t know why Meta allows these ads to play, and when you report it, they don’t do anything,” a Reddit user wrote, referring to the parent company of Facebook.
“Once saw an ad for a viagra or penis enhancement product ata, ta’s si Doc Willie Ong ‘yung nilagay sa ad, lmao,” another commented.
Last October, “It’s Showtime” host-comedienne Vice Ganda called out an advertisement that used a deepfake of her to make it appear as if she was endorsing a weight-loss supplement.
The video used a clip from one of her old TikTok videos about a typhoon last year to make the endorsement look real.
“Madlang people, ‘wag basta maniniwala sa nakikita online! Ang dami nang nagkalat na AI-generated content ngayon,” Vice previously said.
“Maging mapanuri at i-report agad ang mga ganitong video!” she added.
ALSO READ: Vice Ganda warns public about AI-generated fake endorsement video
A deepfake is a form of artificial intelligence (AI) used to create convincing hoax images, sounds, and videos. It compiles fabricated visuals and audio and stitches them together using machine learning algorithms.
As a result, it can depict people or events that do not exist or never actually happened, and is often used to mislead the public through false information or propaganda.
Experts say deepfakes can sometimes be detected through telltale signs such as unnatural eye movement, lack of blinking, distorted or inconsistent facial expressions, abnormal skin tones, awkward head or body positioning and poor lip-syncing, among others.
— with reports from Rosette Adel