A deepfake AI-generated video of England manager Gareth Southgate has gone viral and is serving as a “morale boost” for supporters, one England fan has claimed.
The Football Association (FA) is unhappy with the misleading videos circulating on social media apps such as TikTok and Instagram.
In some of the videos, a fake version of Southgate is seen making vulgar and insulting comments towards both national team and non-selected players.
The problem is that many fans have been fooled into thinking these clips are real, thanks to a clever AI voice generator which artificially moves Southgate's mouth, making it seem as if the England manager is giving a real press conference.
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“As with all harmful content, we will take action to remove these disturbing videos,” the FA said in a statement.
But England fans have defended Southgate's deepfake video, arguing it helps boost morale among supporters.
“It's quintessential British humour – it helps to lift people's morale and keep them motivated and happy, so I think it's harmless fun,” one fan told the BBC.
“Apparently Gareth doesn't read anything or look at social media.”
A second supporter added that the video was “pretty funny”, pointing out that Southgate is not the only player in football to have been targeted.
“I've seen a lot of players throughout the season. [Jurgen] Klopp, Pep [Guardiola] and [Mikel] “Arteta got it too,” said a second fan.
Hany Farid, a professor of digital forensics at the University of California, Berkeley, has warned about the dangers of using AI-generated deepfake videos.
“It's not just people with a large digital footprint who can have their identity stolen,” he said. “You can also take a quick 30-second recording of someone's voice or an image of someone and create a deepfake.”
“There's a big difference between having a satirical article making fun of a politician or an athlete and having a video where you're extremely offensive because of that person's voice or appearance. I think the courts, and we as a society, need to consider where we draw the line.”
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