Deepfake technology, which uses artificial intelligence to create hyper-realistic videos or images of people saying or doing things they never did, has taken the internet by storm. While the technology is impressive, it has also sparked debates about its ethical implications and potential misuse. This article explores the 21 best Deepfake examples that terrified and amused the internet.
The Best Deepfake Examples
Deepfaked Nicki Minaj and Tom Holland
Assistance needed! What on earth is this AI-shapeshifting cloning conspiracy theory?! I wish the entire internet could be removed!!!- July 9, 2023.
An unusual example of deepfake content is a clip from ITVX’s Deep Fake Neighbour Wars, a show featuring deepfaked celebrities in peculiar scenarios. The video shows rapper Nicki Minaj and actor Tom Holland portraying a distressed couple recounting a home invasion by Mark Zuckerberg. This peculiar clip went to Twitter and caught Minaj’s attention, leaving her quite disturbed.
Minaj’s response to the video is: “Assistance needed! What in the AI shapeshifting cloning conspiracy theory is this?! I wish the entire internet could be removed!!!” It might be a bit dramatic, but it’s understandable given their AI-generated faces’ eerie, lifeless appearance, creating a significant uncanny valley effect.
This is not Morgan Freeman
One of the remarkably convincing deepfakes is a Morgan Freeman impersonation. The Dutch deepfake YouTube Channel Diep Nep initially shared the video last year, acknowledging Bob de Jong for the concept and Boet Schouwink for the (impressive) voice acting.
The video remains highly impressive and unsettling even a year later, as evidenced by its recent resurgence on Twitter. A user questioned, “How could this technology not be utilized in the 2024 election?” Another individual remarked, “We may soon realize that even this is relatively simple compared to the actual, ever-present (yet unseen) capabilities of identity manipulation and the creation of entirely fabricated digital identities. The implications of this are extensive and unnerving.“
The Shining starring Jim Carrey
Unusual combinations of films and actors have gained popularity among deepfake creators, and numerous examples can be found on platforms like YouTube, such as the Jerry Seinfeld and Pulp Fiction mashups mentioned earlier. An impressively crafted edit features Jim Carrey taking on the role of Jack Torrance in a series of videos depicting critical scenes from the 1980 film The Shining. The realism is striking, prompting curiosity about Carrey’s potential in a horror film due to his skilful portrayal and expressive facial features.
For a more detailed comparison between the Deepfake edit and the original, the creators Ctrl Shift Face have shared a before-and-after presentation showcasing the transformation from Jack to Jimmy.
Spider-man: No Way Home but it’s Tobey Maguire
Most people have a preferred Spider-Man actor, and if you favor Tobey Maguire, you’ll appreciate this specific edit. Shamook, a well-known creator of deepfakes, has taken the Spider-Man: No Way Home trailer and skillfully replaced Tom Holland’s face with the original Spider-Man, Tobey Maguire. It’s a subtle modification, but it’s done so well that you can hardly discern any alteration.
This type of editing raises questions about the potential future of film making with this technology. Imagine the possibility of selecting your preferred actor to take on the lead role in the movie you’re watching. It’s intriguing.
Jerry Seinfeld in Pulp Fiction
This amusing and skillfully crafted video by DesiFakes places Jerry Seinfeld into a renowned scene from Pulp Fiction, and the result is highly entertaining. The precision in audio editing and visuals is noteworthy, featuring impeccable timing, including the well-placed canned laughter, jingle, and credit roll. The facial expressions seamlessly align with those seen in a typical Seinfeld episode. Such creative applications exemplify the potential of deepfakes.
The deepfake Tom Cruise on TikTok
The TikTok account @deeptomcruise is exclusively devoted to showcasing deepfake videos of Tom Cruise, highlighting the remarkable advancements in deepfake technology. Although some videos still exhibit a slight sense of the uncanny valley, @deeptomcruise demonstrates a commendable proficiency in replicating the actor’s voice and mannerisms. This, coupled with the rapid technological progress, has led to some compelling deepfake content.
The videos portray Cruise engaging in various activities, ranging from golfing to performing magic tricks and even mundane tasks like washing his hands. The TikTok account succinctly describes itself as a “Parody. Also younger.“
The Mandalorian Luke Skywalker deepfake
The Star Wars community enthusiastically responded to the appearance of Luke Skywalker in the season two finale of The Mandalorian. However, after the initial excitement settled, viewers were keen to highlight perceived imperfections in the digital recreation of a younger Mark Hamill. YouTuber Shamook successfully employed deepfake technology to create a convincing depiction of a Return of the Jedi-era Luke Skywalker.
Subsequently, it was officially disclosed that Shamook had been enlisted by Industrial Light and Magic, the renowned visual effects company responsible for bringing the Star Wars universe to cinematic life. Deepfake technology is now actively contributing to enhancing the iconic galaxy far, far away.
The deepfake Keanu Reeves on TikTok
The imitation of Keanu Reeves gaining popularity on TikTok is not the sole instance of a counterfeit celebrity amassing a following on the platform. Recently, Unreal_Keanu, a deepfake version of Keanu Reeves, has attracted an impressive 7.4 million followers. Fans appreciate the nods to his movie roles, his dance content (keeping in line with TikTok trends), and humorous references to cohabiting with a partner.
Similar to the earlier mention of Cruise, this specific deepfake celebrity is employed for comedic purposes and is not being misrepresented as genuine. However, despite the lighthearted nature, it underscores the potential risks associated with deepfakes for celebrities. On one hand, this technology could allow celebrities to monetize their image by collaborating with brands without the need for traditional filming or photoshoots. On the flip side, unscrupulous brands have exploited deepfakes to promote their products without obtaining the celebrities’ consent.
Korean newsreader Kim Joo-Ha
Korean news anchor Kim Joo-Ha was featured in a deepfake presentation by the MBN television channel. While many deepfakes serve as amusing parodies or technological experiments, this instance raises concerns about their potential integration into mainstream media. Last year, MBN showcased a deepfake of Kim Joo-Ha as a part of their news broadcast, with a prior warning to viewers. Although Kim Joo-Ha retained her position, MBN intends to utilize deepfakes for certain breaking news stories. The company responsible for the deepfake, DeepBrain AI (formerly known as Moneybrain), is actively seeking media buyers in China and the US, sparking concerns about the potential obsolescence of traditional newsreaders.
Wonder Woman
Remakes and reboots play a significant role in today’s film industry. When new actors take on iconic roles, it’s natural for audiences to draw comparisons between the various portrayals. Deepfake technology enhances this comparison by seamlessly inserting one actor into another’s role, creating a captivating opportunity to observe similarities and differences.
In this instance, DeepFaker skillfully positions Lynda Carter, known for her role in the classic ’70s Wonder Woman TV show, into the reimagined setting and costume of Gal Gadot’s cinematic Wonder Woman. The outcome is truly remarkable and captures attention with its awe-inspiring results.
The deepfake Snoop Dogg Doggy Dog tarot readings
The simulated Snoop Doggy Dog tarot readings through deepfake technology represent a humorous take on the traditional phoneline fortune-telling that once held prominence during late-night TV broadcasts in various regions. Viewers would engage by making calls to receive predictions from psychics of questionable credibility. Given the dubious nature of this industry, the utilization of deepfake treatment seems fitting, and the choice of West Coast rapper Snoop Dogg as the central figure adds a comedic touch. This entertaining deepfake creation is credited to Brian Monarch.
Deepfake Round table
The entertainment scene is currently experiencing a significant transformation, with streaming services such as Netflix competing for attention against traditional cinema. In light of this, Collider has crafted an amusing deepfake featuring well-known personalities like Tom Cruise, Robert Downey Jr., George Lucas, Ewan McGregor, and Jeff Goldblum discussing the future of cinema and streaming. This video stands out for its remarkable realism and entertaining qualities, earning it favor as a highly amusing piece. As one viewer aptly describes it, the video is ‘impressively convincing.’
Donald Trump joins Breaking Bad
Donald Trump makes a humorous appearance in a spoof of the immensely popular Breaking Bad series. The video features Trump as the shady lawyer Saul Goodman, explaining the fundamentals of money laundering to Jesse Pinkman, portrayed by Aaron Paul in the original show. Adding a touch of authenticity, Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, replaces Paul in the parody, creating an almost personal connection.
The creative team at Ctrl Shift Face crafted Trump and Kushner’s faces meticulously using DeepFaceLab, addressing each frame with precision. The voices that bring the scene to life come from Stable Voices, a custom AI model trained on authentic speech samples.
Donald Trump has been a frequent target of deepfake technology, resulting in amusing outcomes. The South Park creators initially considered developing a movie centered around their creation, Sassy Justice (referenced below). While Deep Fake: The Movie seems to be on hold, the provided content offers a glimpse into what it could entail.
Obama’s Public Service Announcement
In a public service announcement by Obama, it was highlighted that numerous convincing instances of deepfakes have emerged with impersonators replicating the original voice and gestures. A specific example is a video created by BuzzFeed and comedian Jordan Peele using After Effects CC and FakeApp. In this instance, Peele’s mouth was superimposed onto Obama’s, replacing the former president’s jawline with one that mimicked Peele’s mouth movements—the refinement of the footage involved over 50 hours of automatic processing with the use of FakeApp.
Deepfakes commonly target politicians and celebrities. Approximately a year before the mentioned video, computer scientists from the University of Washington employed neural network AI to model the shape of Obama’s mouth, enabling it to synchronize with audio input.
The allure of high-profile figures for deepfaking lies in the abundance of source material available in their public profiles, allowing AI to learn effectively. However, considering the increasing number of selfies taken by the average person and the swift technological progress, it’s plausible that soon anyone could become a potential source for deepfake manipulation.
Zuckerberg speaks frankly
In response to Facebook’s decision not to remove a manipulated video featuring Nancy Pelosi, artist Bill Posters they have shared a similar deepfake on Facebook-owned Instagram. This video depicted Mark Zuckerberg boasting about how the platform “controls” its users. The question arises: would Facebook respond differently if its founder were subjected to manipulation?
Originally, this footage was part of Posters’ and Daniel Howe’s Spectre project, commissioned for Sheffield Doc Fest, to highlight the susceptibility of individuals to manipulation through social media. The video was created using Canny AI’s VDR (video dialogue replacement) software from an Israeli startup, which has been promoted through a deepfake singalong featuring various world leaders.
Instagram did not remove the Zuckerberg video, but stated that it would handle the content similarly to other instances of misinformation on the platform. If third-party fact-checkers identify it as false, Instagram would filter it out. The creators used the hashtag #deepfake to flag the video. While the video appears reasonably convincing when muted, the voice reveals its artificial nature. This underscores the importance of skilled actors in creating believable deepfake content, although advancements in AI voice synthesis may impact this dynamic soon.
Donald Trump Lectures Belgium
Trump once again makes an appearance in an old incident worth noting. In this case, it marked the initial instance of a political party utilizing a deepfake. Belgium’s Socialistische Partij Anders (sp.a) shared a video on Facebook in May 2018, depicting Trump mocking Belgium for staying in the Paris climate agreement. The video, featuring a noticeably artificial appearance of Trump’s hair and awkward mouth movements, is overtly fake. The voiceover explicitly acknowledges this: “We all know that climate change is fake, just like this video.” Although the final line is not subtitled in Flemish, it prompted a user to comment, “Trumpy needs to look at his own country with its concerning issues,” leading sp.a to clarify that the video was indeed a fabrication.
Subsequently, a more convincing deepfake of Trump emerged, crafted by YouTuber Derpfakes. Using DeepFaceLab, the creator mapped a composite of Trump’s face onto Alec Baldwin’s Saturday Night Live impersonation. This demonstration highlights the notable advancements in deepfake technology within a year. However, it’s worth mentioning that the video has been restricted in the United States and Canada.
Dove’s Toxic Advice Deepfake
Here’s an instance of deepfake application by a prominent brand, employed for a marketing initiative with a constructive purpose. Dove utilized deepfake technology to convey unconventional advice through the voices of mothers of adolescent girls. The objective was to spotlight the detrimental effects of much of the hazardous ‘beauty’ guidance disseminated by influencers on social media platforms. In the promotional video, participants appear visibly shocked as their mothers deliver distorted advice. Titled “Toxic Influence,” the advertisement was crafted by Ogilvy.
Bill Hader morphs into Pacino and Schwarzenegger
Suppose an impressive impersonation forms the foundation of a compelling deepfake. In that case, this video showcasing actor and comedian Bill Hader seamlessly transforming into Hollywood icons Al Pacino and Arnold Schwarzenegger is truly remarkable. While the team at Ctrl-Shift Face isn’t attempting to deceive anyone with this footage, they effectively illustrate the importance of having an actor who can authentically portray the mannerisms of the source. The subtle transition of Hader’s facial features into those of Pacino and subsequently Schwarzenegger is mildly unsettling and thoroughly amusing.
Salvador Dalí comes back to life
Agency GS&P orchestrated a captivating event at the Dalí Museum in Florida, reminiscent of something the attention-seeking Dalí would have appreciated. Titled “Dalí Lives” and promoted as an intersection of art and artificial intelligence, the project involved extracting over 6,000 frames from vintage video interviews. These frames underwent 1,000 hours of machine-learning processing before being superimposed onto an actor’s face. The accompanying text featured quotes from past interviews and letters, supplemented with new commentary to foster a connection between visitors and the artist.
What sets this deepfake apart is its interactive nature. With 45 minutes of footage spread across 125 videos, there are over 190,000 potential combinations based on visitor responses. The experience even incorporates comments on the weather. The culmination of this innovative project involves Dalí turning around and taking a selfie with the audience. Dalí, who once claimed he would unlikely ever die, seems to have a point, as he was recently resurrected again by Samsung’s AI lab in Moscow. This time, the AI was trained on distinctive facial features from just a few images, deviating from the conventional approach of using thousands of images.
The Volodymyr Zelensky deepfake
A deepfake featuring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky supposedly urging his soldiers to disarm was uploaded to a compromised Ukrainian news website today, as reported by @Shayan86 on March 16, 2022.
Fortunately, the majority of well-known deepfake instances online are clearly identified as fake and are not meant to deceive anyone. They are often created for comedic purposes, such as inserting Nicolas Cage into various films, or, at worst, for inappropriate fantasies (deepfake celebrity content, the origin of this technology, has been prohibited). However, there have been instances where individuals have misused deepfakes with malicious intentions, attempting to present them as authentic.
This alarming incident was aired on a compromised Ukrainian TV station just a month into the Russian invasion of the country. It depicts Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelensky, purportedly instructing the country’s troops to surrender to Russia. Despite its low quality and lack of persuasiveness, it illustrates the widespread concern regarding the potential misuse of deepfakes to disseminate false information.
Yang Mi travels in time
In 2019, a video gained widespread attention, featuring the face of Yang Mi, a prominent Chinese actress, superimposed onto characters in the 1983 Hong Kong television drama, The Legend Of The Condor Heroes. The video went viral, amassing around 240 million views before being taken down by Chinese authorities.
The individual behind the creation of the video, a devoted fan of Yang Mi, issued an apology on the microblogging site Weibo. They explained that the video was intended as a cautionary message to raise awareness about the capabilities of the technology. The incident highlighted the potential applications of deepfakes in the film and television industry.
It is conceivable that the industry could explore various uses of deepfake technology, potentially allowing viewers to have a more interactive experience with home releases. This may involve manipulating dialogue, integrating alternative scenes, or even enabling viewers to insert themselves as characters. The entertainment landscape might also witness an increase in video games featuring appearances by celebrities.
How can you spot a deepfake?
Given the rising concerns about the potential misuse of convincing deepfakes for criminal activities or manipulating entire populations, many individuals are naturally curious about methods to detect them. Various organizations employ techniques to verify the authenticity of online-shared videos and images. However, in the context of a video call where suspicions arise about the authenticity of the individual, a practical approach is to request the person to turn sideways.
This tactic is effective because the facial pose estimation software utilized in deepfake videos often struggles at acute angles, allocating more landmarks to the front of the face than the side. Additionally, there tend to be fewer profile images of people, resulting in a limited set of examples for the software to learn from.
For those interested in peculiar instances of deepfake occurrences, consider exploring Volkswagen’s deepfake AI advertisement or examining a disconcerting ‘live action’ Southpark deepfake that has left fans feeling uneasy.
