Deepfakes

The AI technologies that create deepfakes can generate a convincing video in which a celebrity or politician appears to say and do things they have never actually said or done, leading to a media environment in which anyone's face and image can be remixed and manipulated. This book explores the themes of trust and consent as face-swapping software becomes more common, arguing that deepfake videos allow for a new perspective on the taken-for-granted nature of contemporary media. It analyses how such videos deepen the social media environment in which the public and the personal converge, and in which all human experience becomes data to be shared.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 160 pages
Publication date: 07 October 2022
Publisher: Polity Press

When we lose our ability to trust what we see, a profound shift occurs in the media landscape. The advent of deepfakes, a form of synthetic media where images and videos are manipulated to create convincing facsimiles of celebrities or politicians, has opened up a Pandora's box of possibilities. With enough images of a particular person, AI technologies can generate a convincing video in which that person appears to say and do things they have never actually said or done. This creates a media environment where anyone's face and image can be remixed and manipulated, blurring the lines between reality and fiction.

Graham Meikle, in his book "Deepfakes: The Future of Fake News and Fake People," delves into the intricate process of creating and using deepfakes. From celebrity porn and political satire to movie mash-ups and disinformation campaigns, this book explores the themes of trust and consent as face-swapping software becomes more prevalent. Meikle argues that deepfake videos offer a new perspective on the taken-for-granted nature of contemporary media, where our capacity to remix and share content increasingly conflicts with our capacity to trust.

The book analyzes how deepfake videos deepen the social media environment in which the public and the personal converge, and where all human experience becomes data to be shared. It raises important questions about the ethical implications of such technology and the potential for it to be used for malicious purposes.

"Deepfakes" is a timely, clear, and accessible text that is essential for students and scholars of media, communication, cultural studies, and sociology as well as general readers. It provides a comprehensive understanding of the emerging threat of deepfakes and the impact they will have on our society in the years to come.

Weight: 262g
Dimension: 139 x 216 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781509548217