Britain’s Channel 4 last week made a stunning real-looking parody video of Queen Elizabeth’s annual Christmas Day message that the network claims exposes the dangers of “deepfeck” technology.
Channel 4 has been releasing its own “alternative” Christmas message for almost 30 years and has decided to make a deepfac video this year as a warning about the potential dangers of technology.
The technique of manipulating someone’s face and voice in a “deepfake” video is “easier than most people think,” the channel said in a separate video of how it artificially recreates the queen with the help of actress Debra Stephenson.
“These are two parts of the Christmas message,” a Channel 4 representative said in the video. “There’s a serious part, which is really a message that people need to think about where they get the information from and whether they can trust the people they give it to … … obviously, we created Let’s talk a little bit on Christmas day. We want it to be fun. We want it to be fun. “
AI-generated fake videos could threaten security, lawmakers warn
In this photo, released on Friday, December 25, 2020, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II notes her annual Christmas broadcast at Windsor Castle, Windsor Castle, England. (Associated Press)
“A lot of things in our world today come to us through these screens,” says Stephenson (voicing the Queen) after dancing to the ticket ok in the video. “Which brings me back to the question of faith whether we always feel what we see and hear.”
Images from over 100,000 women ‘noticed’ by Creepy Dipfake But Created Fake Nudes: Report
The short video, which also includes a joke about toilet-paper shortages – learning about what ordinary people are “troubles on the throne” – and mixed reactions to references to the departure of Harry and Meghan and allegations against Prince Andrew.
The Sun’s Simon Boyle said he’s not a royalist, though, as the Queen always thinks he’s right, and the spoof video “is a million miles away from the public mood – and not as smart or funny as he thinks.”
British journalist Benjamin Butterworth called the video “horrific”.
“For a channel that publishes the dangers of online news online with fake news and doctrinaire content in its news output, it’s very frustrating to see it engaged in similar methods to ‘comedy’ and to normalize obscure lines.”
“How dare they,” wrote Brexit proponent Nigel Fage Rage simply.
Still, some others liked it.
“I think it wasn’t just funny, but we’ve swallowed a lot on the screen these days about how much he’s worried and how much he’s out of it,” one Twitter user wrote.
Click here to get the Fox News app
Another said, “Great job and just highlights how easy it is to spread fake news.”
Channel 4 has given the video a “complete warning about advanced technology that enables the spread of misinformation and fake news in the digital age.”
