A Detailed Guide On What Is Deepfake Technology And Its Benefits?

Recently, AI has been developing and we hear new terms every day. But an old quote says’ every coin has two sides, and truer words have never been spoken.

What is Deepfake?

Technology has made our lives easier, but with an abundance of consequences. One such consequence is deepfake technology. However, the majority of people are not aware of this term and the major question swirling in your mind after reading it would be, ”What is deepfake technology?” All your doubts will be cleared after this article.

What does deepfake mean?

Deepfake is a term used for photo-shopped images and doctored videos. Any media content that is forged AKA fake makes it a part of deepfake technology. Now explained in simpler terms, you all might have come across deepfake technology once every few days. This may include fake videos of celebrities or some unbelievable words said by them which might put the public in rage. 

However, if you see the word closely it is self-explanatory and you might not need to even question ‘what is deepfake technology’. Deepfake is made of two words, ‘deep’ and ‘fake’. It involves the media that is fake but deeply similar to the original content that it becomes indistinguishable. 

How does deepfake technology work?

To better understand ‘what is deepfake technology’, it is crucial to understand the working. 

With help of machine learning algorithms, deepfake software is created where you need to provide different data inputs. One data contains the original content of the media and the other data is the media, whether a face or audio with which the original data is to be replaced.

To create a forged media, a person has to spend hours on a neutral network providing it with the original data to make it understand the person’s looks and behavior from different angles. So that when the original content is replaced with fake content with the use of graphic techniques, it looks realistic. If you ever wondered what is deepfake technology and how it works, but have no technical knowledge, understanding these technologies might come in handy.

There are mainly two ways of using deepfake technology:

1. Encoders/decoders

Encoders are a part of neutral networks that is used only for face-swaps using two pairs of encoders/decoders. They are trained and designed in a way to swap the facial features of the image in another decoder. 

The whole process of deepfake involves the data input of two different images in different encoders. The major role of encoders is to detect the similar features between the two images and reduce them accordingly along with compressing the said image. The decoder decompresses the image after swapping the faces. For instance, if an image of person X is in one encoder and the image of person Y is in another encoder, then the compressed image of person X will be fed into the decoder of person Y and vice-versa. The decoder then using similar features reconstructs the images.

2. GAN

GAN (generative adversarial network) is another technology used for deepfake. It is a difficult process compared to encoders and decoders. The process involves two AI algorithms named:

. Generator

The generator is fed with random noise and over a continuous cycle, it creates an image. This synthetic image is then sent to the discriminator.

. Discriminator

These synthetic images along with a set of real images are sent to the discriminator. The discriminator combines both images to make it look like a real image.

However, it cannot be achieved in one or two steps. The feedback or the processed image from the discriminator is again sent to the generator along with some random noise. The process is repeated numerous times and the result is a perfectly forged image with not even minute errors.  

Deepfake apps

Since the forged pictures and videos are so identical, it is uncanny for a layman to even know what is deepfake technology and henceforth falls for the traps. When deepfake was in the initial phase, it was not readily available to everyone and was also distinguishable from original content. However, with AI technology developments deepfake applications are accessible by anyone and anywhere. 

The deepfake apps are now readily at everyone’s disposal to use and have fun with. Initially, it was only available for Apple users but now for android users as well. Some of the quite famous apps are listed below.

1. Reface

Nominated by Google Play user’s choice award 2020, the app is none other than Reface. It is a deepfake app for android users wherein it is quite simple to forge videos and pictures. Realistic pictures can be created only by providing both pictures and swapping the faces. 

2. Faceswap

It is the most fun deepfake app currently available. It does not only swap faces with others but also allows animal faces to be merged within the original face. This feature makes this app unique from others. Additionally, it also has numerous other features with a simple user interface.

3.  Celebrity face morph

If you are a huge fan of Bollywood or Hollywood, this app is quite a fit for you. If you ever dreamt of being Spiderman, batman, or even Jack Sparrow, this might be the chance for you. Swap your images with the famous characters and have fun with your friends. But sadly this app is only available for android users.

4.  Wombo

This one is rather enthralling. Do you want a lip-sync video on your favourite song? This app makes your dream come true. You can create a video of your singing with only a still picture. The AI used in this app allows you to forge your image and create an illusion of lip sync. However, you would not a get realistic video but an animated one.

How to use deepfake technology?

AI technology has the potential to create illusions of images and videos. This smart artificial intelligence has made tools that made an exalted entrance and experience affordable. Understanding what is deepfake technology isn’t enough when you do not know how to use it beneficially.

• Education- Pandemic has made children opposed to the concept of studying and spending time understanding the concepts. However, there are always some ways to make things interesting and fun. Using visual effects to explain the historical monuments to using digital world maps to make the concept of geography easier and fun, a lot can be done with deepfake technology.

• Movie industry- The VFX or the visual effects we see in movies is a part of deepfake technology. The action sequels or the unbelievable and magical things are all a gift of deepfake technology.  Using deepfake technology in movies makes the experience all the more enthralling. Have you ever wondered how Harry Potter was able to fly in the sky on a broom or how a human can change into an animal within seconds? Well not anymore because you know.

• Social Media– While deepfake has pros and cons, it can be quite fun to use it. Lately, deepfake videos have been trending on social media where a person cannot help but laugh. Whether it includes making the famous Mona Lisa painting lip-sync to your favorite songs or checking how you will look when you are old are all in good spirits. Snapchat also added filters where you can swap faces with someone while sharing the screen with them.

Benefits of deepfake technology

If used with the right intentions for the right purposes, deepfake technology can prove to be the icing on the cake for the technology. The AI-generated deepfake technology when used righteously can have several benefits to the user and audience. 

• Masking identity for privacy
• Anonymously sharing ideas and opinions
• Enhancing art for instance in video games
• Podcast creation
• Digital models in the fashion industry

Conclusion

Before using deepfake technology it is important to know its pros and cons and how it can be used, but most crucially ’what is deepfake technology’. Technologies are made to save time and money and provide comfort at the same time. We must repay these technologies by using them for what they were created.