A Deepfake Queen Delivered an Alternative Christmas Speech to Warn about Misinformation (cnn.com) 47
"A fake Queen Elizabeth danced across TV screens on Christmas as part of a 'deepfake' speech aired by a British broadcaster," reports CNN:
The broadcaster said the video was supposed to offer "a stark warning about the advanced technology that is enabling the proliferation of misinformation and fake news in a digital age." Channel 4 annually accompanies the Queen's traditional speech with an "alternative Christmas message." This message has been aired since 1993. It has long attracted controversy. Previous people to have delivered the alternative speech include Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the former president of Iran. Other notable invitees include US whistleblower Edward Snowden, Jesse Jackson and the children who survived the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire.
But the 2020 iteration is rather different. This year Channel 4 hired VFX studio Framestore to create a fake Queen Elizabeth, who spoke candidly about personal matters. The video was manipulated using artificial intelligence technology. The deepfake Queen discusses Prince Harry and Meghan's move to North America, saying: "There are few things more hurtful than someone telling you they prefer the company of Canadians."
The fake Queen also performed a Tik Tok dance routine...
In her real Christmas message, the Queen commended frontline workers for their efforts during the pandemic and offered condolences to families who were unable to celebrate together due to coronavirus-related restrictions.
Channel 4 described their video as a "comedic parody," saying it raised an important question. "Is what we see and hear always as it seems?"
But the 2020 iteration is rather different. This year Channel 4 hired VFX studio Framestore to create a fake Queen Elizabeth, who spoke candidly about personal matters. The video was manipulated using artificial intelligence technology. The deepfake Queen discusses Prince Harry and Meghan's move to North America, saying: "There are few things more hurtful than someone telling you they prefer the company of Canadians."
The fake Queen also performed a Tik Tok dance routine...
In her real Christmas message, the Queen commended frontline workers for their efforts during the pandemic and offered condolences to families who were unable to celebrate together due to coronavirus-related restrictions.
Channel 4 described their video as a "comedic parody," saying it raised an important question. "Is what we see and hear always as it seems?"
YouTube link to video (Score:5, Informative)
Hello,
Just in case anyone wants to view the video without having to register or use a VPN: https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]
Regards,
Aryeh Goretsky
Re: (Score:2)
Actually, it blew up outside a fondue restaurant (The melting pot) which is what is was parked in front of. The AT&T building was across the street
... next to the grassy knoll, just visible from the book depository.
Re: If the Mayan schedule has slipped (Score:2)
Yes, imagine the real election numbers, if there had been no election fraud by Trump. *evil grin*
Re:If the Mayan schedule has slipped (Score:5, Informative)
There isn't an unconstitutional NSA/AT&T mass spying center in Nashville, TN. Those are located in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. There might be a new one in Miami to better cover Central and South American cable exchange points. Think "cable landing point" and Media Access Exchange (MAE) points. And this has been known since at least 2002, when Robert Klein broke the news [npr.org].
The Intercept did a nice, in-depth story [theintercept.com] on this back in 2018.
But Nashville? Puh-lease. More likely some Trumpanzee who thinks Twitter is the end-all-and-be-all of conspiracy theory [imdb.com] sources.
Re: (Score:2)
thinking.
did anybody ask the the queen if she would do this p s a
Can someone explain all the inside jokes? (Score:2)
There's a few things in it I didn't know the context for. Like why did it cut away to an eaten carrot and crumpet and glass of cherry during the prince andrew jab? And what's the joke about Boris being a pregnancy risk to health workers? there were some others too I missed I think,
Re: Can someone explain all the inside jokes? (Score:2)
While we're at it: I really need a database of explanations like that for The Thick Of It.
It's very funny, but I feel like missing out on half of the humor, if not more.
Re:Can someone explain all the inside jokes? (Score:4, Informative)
Traditionally you leave a mince pie and a glass of sherry or similar for Santa, and carrots for the reindeer.
Boris has refused to answer questions on how many children he has ("at least six" according to various sources) and how many mothers that represents.
Overplayed and cringey (Score:2)
The visuals were maybe convincing, but the script was pure cringe, making it completely obvious it was a fake.
Re:Overplayed and cringey (Score:5, Insightful)
The visuals were maybe convincing, but the script was pure cringe, making it completely obvious it was a fake.
That was the point. Your brain told you "the Queen wouldn't say these things" while your eyes and ears told you otherwise. The message was "don't just trust, investigate."
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Actually, I found the visuals to be more disappointing than convincing. So many artefacts, facial expression and audio out of sync, and like it was texture mapped on an ancient 3D rendering engine.
5 years ago you wouldn't even have considered this level of detail possible.
5 years from now you probably won't be able to tell the deep fake from the real person at first glance.
10 years from now and its anyones guess how pervasive deep fake technology will be.
Re: (Score:2)
10 years from not the visuals may be convincing, but in interactive mode you'll still be able to tell it isn't some particular person that you know well. A public figure, however. ...
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Sorry about that space in the extended ellipsis near the end, but I needed it to avoid the lameness filter.
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Instead of trust you could try "suspension of disbelief". That's probably the correct attitude towards messages that you can't verify. It lets you understand them without imputing reality to them. (It's more traditionally used with ostensible fiction.)
OTOH, some people do still seem to get caught up in the story. Consider that in some places Jedi is now an official religion. (On the third hand, perhaps they've got as much right as the more traditional religions.)
Re: As opposed to classical disinformation. (Score:2)
Baaad idea.
Because most of our brain cannot tell fantasy from reality. Imagine eating something sour intensely enough, and you will notice your flow of saliva increasing. Brain thinks you're really eating it.
That is how you get people starting to believe nonsense, just because it is repeated and imagined often enough.
Re: (Score:2)
Subject 59423878 is still believing the simulation. Let's crank it up another notch.
Re: As opposed to classical disinformation. (Score:2)
You are saying the simulators themselves are not simulated? Like you could tell ...?
My friend, I present you the Münchhausen trilemma. Learn it, and weep.
This is just as nonsensical as thinking "God made everything." is an answer to "Where did everyhing come from?", while ignoring "Where did God come from, then?". If one chooses to ignore, then why there? One could just ignore where everything comes from either.
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I wasn't trying to be philosophical here, nor trying to explain the source of everything in the Universe.
If we're in a simulation, it wouldn't explain anything other than the fact that we are in a simulation. It wouldn't even explain if we're connected Matrix-style (or even if we have a body at all) or if we're simply A.I. ourselves.
I was only trying to make a joke about the whole thing, pushing the "deepfake" topic to the whole of what we perceive as "reality", i.e. is reality itself a deepfake/simulation?
Science = trigger = flamebait. Duly noted, Slashdo (Score:2)
Duly noted, you insufferable morons.
I hope SARS-Cov-3-ebolaaids ravages you.
ick (Score:1)
You know, sometimes, something actually isn't cool ... it's really just obnoxious and annoying.
saying it raised an important question. "Is what we see and hear always as it seems?"
Oh, thank you so much for this startling new thought that nobody has thought anything about ...
Re: (Score:2)
Since it's just one step beyond "Is what we see and hear always true?", hopefully most people won't be affected by deepfakes. They're too tribal to care about such trivialities as "is this lie coming from a real person?", they'll continue to believe what others in their group already believe.
confirmation (Score:2)
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Wouldn't the Queen technically have to declare it?
The filter of the mind ... (Score:2)
The vid was pathetic (Score:2)
Mockery etc of an over ninety.
Nothing redeeming in it at all
Spoiler Alert (Score:2)
If this is the best "deep-fake" has to offer so far I think were OK.
Spoiler alert - Not so deep