We’re living in the wild west of technology. Whether you’re for it or not, there’s no denying the insane and mind-blowing capabilities burgeoning tech has supplied our world: we can swap faces and turn into flower headband-wearing hippies and 3D print ourselves a reality nearly as authentic as that in which we live. And it’s easy to take that for granted, or not see the ways in which these seemingly innocuous and silly advances could be used against us. Thankfully, Jordan Peele and BuzzFeed (and a fake Barack Obama) joined forces to show us the potential dangers of them, particularly in regards to fake news.
Now: a lot of eagle-eyed folks will undoubtedly scream, “that is so clearly Jordan Peele’s voice! Who could be fooled by the way Obama moves his mouth?” But, to be frank, y’all aren’t who this PSA is speaking to—this one is for a much broader audience of people who don’t notice those things, or tend to blindly trust whatever they read/hear/see. And to be honest, if this is where we’re at, on a technical level, so early in the game, it won’t be long before these tiny red flags are finessed out as the technology advances.
The folks at Monkeypaw (Peele’s production company) made the clip using a combination of technologies old and new, namely Adobe After Effects and the AI face-swapping tool FakeApp. (You may be familiar with the FakeApp tool as it’s been at the center of the fake celebrity porn corner of the internet. Which is a thing, but that’s a post for another day.)
Regardless of the clips ingenuity, it’s important to remember the point of this: fake news is real, it’s out there, and it’s way, way easier to make than it probably should be. So stay vigilant! Check sources! And rely on your gut rather than the sensationalized story of the minute—there’s always a chance it’s misinformation in more ways than one.
What do you think of the clip? Let us know in the comments below!
Alicia Lutes is the Managing Editor, creator/host of Fangirling, and resident Khaleesi of House Nerdist. Find her on Twitter!
More Techy Fun is In Your Future!
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Image: Monkeypaw Productions/BuzzFeed
