Deepfake is a technology based on artificial intelligence to create ultra-realistic fake videos, audio, and images featuring real people. In recent years, it has gained incredible popularity, evoking both admiration and concern. Celebrities, whose faces are often used for such purposes, have felt its impact most acutely. In this article, we will discuss five of the most "deepfaked" individuals who have become the main victims of this emerging technology.
Donald Trump
The absolute leader in the number of deepfakes is former and newly-elected President Donald Trump. This year alone, more than 12,000 requests were made on the Pika AI Discord channel for fake videos and images featuring him. One striking example is a video released in the summer, where Trump allegedly declares that singer Taylor Swift supports him in the upcoming presidential election. This deepfake went viral on social media, causing significant confusion as many users believed the video was real.
Elon Musk
CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI Elon Musk has become the most deepfaked business leader of 2024. As of today, over 9,500 requests for deepfakes involving Musk have been submitted on the Pika AI Discord channel. One of the most infamous examples is a fake video created for crypto fraud. The video, streamed on YouTube Live, falsely portrayed Musk promising to double investors' contributions, leading to financial losses for unsuspecting users.
Taylor Swift
American singer Taylor Swift has also been one of the main victims of deepfakes this year. Since January, the Pika AI Discord channel has logged over 8,000 requests for fake videos and photos featuring her. One of the most scandalous cases involved the release of fake explicit images of the artist on social media. This content sparked outrage among Swift's fans. Besides, the SAG-AFTRA union, which protects the rights of public figures, strongly condemned the images and demanded their removal.
Joe Biden
US President Joe Biden has become the second most deepfaked political figure in 2024. So far, nearly 8,000 requests for deepfakes featuring Biden have been submitted on the Pika AI platform. One of the most controversial examples was an audio recording in which Biden allegedly threatened to send military aircraft to Texas in response to the migration crisis. The recording caused a social media uproar, but the White House quickly refuted its authenticity, pointing out typical deepfake signs such as a monotone voice and unnatural modulations.
Tom Cruise
Hollywood actor Tom Cruise experienced a deepfake popularity boom in 2021, with viral videos showing him playing golf, performing magic tricks, and talking about his meeting with Mikhail Gorbachev. It was later revealed that all these videos were fake and created by visual artist Chris Ume. Three years later, Tom Cruise remains the most deepfaked actor in the world. Since the beginning of this year, over 2,000 requests for deepfakes featuring him have been submitted on the Pika AI platform.