AI face-changing is so popular nowadays, but the potential risks cannot be ignored

Two summers ago, Alphago, a chess player representing AI, played against Ke Jie, the strongest human chess player at the time, and ended with humans losing 3:0.

When humans first came into contact with artificial intelligence, they were somewhat panicked, as if they were facing a flood or a beast.

However, after just two short years, people have begun to get used to living in harmony with AI, and artificial intelligence technology has penetrated into social life. More and more translators and translation software have begun to apply neural network technology, and the accuracy and speed of their translation results can even reach the level of real-time interpretation. The retail sector has achieved full AI control of the entire industrial chain, including unmanned vending, smart supply chain, and passenger flow statistics analysis. Industries such as weather forecasting and disaster warning have also widely integrated artificial skills technology, and the results can basically be achieved quickly and accurately.

This technology is no longer so mysterious, and more and more enthusiasts are spontaneously conducting entertaining artificial intelligence research. Recently, a hot search topic on Weibo appeared, "Replace Zhu Yin's Huang Rong with Yang Mi's face", which uses AI technology to capture expressions and facial information, and use the trained output face shape to replace the original face shape.

There is no sense of incongruity in the video after the face-changing video. The facial contour and expression are exactly the same as Yang Mi. Even the acting is more vivid and spiritual. It is completely impossible to tell that it was replaced later.

It is reported that this AI face-changing technology is completed using a foreign software Deepfake. Compared with the face-changing function on the selfie software we used before, the face-changing effect of this software is more natural, and it can even be said to be flawless. It can also achieve perfect face replacement in the video, and there is no unnaturalness in either expression or face shape.

Due to the low threshold for use, even if you have no relevant technical experience, you can complete the video replacement by simply entering the video information. This AI face-changing technology became popular on the Internet for a while. Some people have also tried to replace the faces of female anchors with various female celebrities, and there is nothing unnatural about them.

However, after the entertainment, doubts about this technology have surfaced. Some people believe that AI face-changing may lead to more cases of online fraud and infringe on the privacy and portrait rights of others.

For example, identity authentication and face payment functions that are now completed with facial recognition mostly require you to nod, blink, or open your mouth to confirm your operation. However, with the advent of AI face-changing technology, those with bad intentions can easily deceive the recognition system by training the AI ​​with some videos or photos you have posted on social software.

On the other hand, judging from the powerful performance of AI face-changing in video replacement, if this technology is used in entertainment and film and television shooting, it may encourage the abuse of stand-ins in the film and television industry.

The filming is all done by stand-ins, and as long as AI faces are replaced in the later stage, some actors can get paid without performing. In the context of the increasingly impetuous atmosphere in the entertainment industry, if this technology is really used in filming, it will not only be suspected of deceiving the audience, but will also seriously damage the reputation of artistic works.

In the face of all these possible problems, the U.S. Department of Defense has developed an "anti-AI face-changing criminal investigation detection tool" for face-changing technology, and relevant companies have also actively introduced countermeasures to prevent possible crimes using AI face-changing.

Taking the controversy caused by AI face-changing as an example, the emergence of new technologies is a double-edged sword. Some people call certain scientific discoveries "opening Pandora's box", but in fact, when artificial intelligence steps down from the altar and integrates into thousands of households in an ordinary manner, the abuse of technology is when the Pandora's box is truly opened.

Science itself is not scary. What is scary is that some people with bad intentions use it for improper purposes. While enjoying the convenience of science and technology, we must keep a rational mind and not be tempted by the hidden evils brought by science and technology. Relevant departments should also effectively predict and prevent various illegal phenomena that may be brought about by new technologies, so that science can better serve the public.