This Open-Source Program Deepfakes You During Zoom Meetings, in Real Time:
Video conferencing apps like Zoom and Skype are usually boring and often frustrating. With more people than ever using this software to work from home, users are finding new ways to spice up endless remote meetings and group hangs by looping videos of themselves looking engaged, adding wacky backgrounds, and now, using deepfake filters for impersonating celebrities when you're tired of your own face staring back at you in the front-facing camera window.
Avatarify is a program that superimposes someone else's face onto yours in real-time, during video meetings. The code is available on Github for anyone to use.
Programmer Ali Aliev used the open-source code from the "First Order Motion Model for Image Animation," published on the arxiv preprint server earlier this year, to build Avatarify. First Order Motion, developed by researchers at the University of Trento in Italy as well as Snap, Inc., drives a photo of a person using a video of another person—such as footage of an actor—without any prior training on the target image.
With other face-swap technologies, like deepfakes, the algorithm is trained on the face you want to swap, usually requiring several images of the person's face you're trying to animate. This model can do it in real-time, by training the algorithm on similar categories of the target (like faces).
"I ran [the First Order Model] on my PC and was surprised by the result. What's important, it worked fast enough to drive an avatar real-time," Aliev told Motherboard. "Developing a prototype was a matter of a couple of hours and I decided to make fun of my colleagues with whom I have a Zoom call each Monday. And that worked. As they are all engineers and researchers, the first reaction was curiosity and we soon began testing the prototype."
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Zoom Acquires Keybase to Bring End-to-End Encryption to Video Platform:
Popular communications platform provider Zoom Video announced on Thursday that it has acquired secure messaging and file-sharing service Keybase for an undisclosed sum. The move is the latest by the company as it attempts to bolster the security of its offerings and build in end-to-end encryption that can scale to the company's massive user base.
"There are en-to-end encrypted communications platforms. There are communications platforms with easily deployable security. There are enterprise-scale communications platforms. We believe that no current platform offers all of these. This is what Zoom plans to build, giving our users security, ease of use, and scale, all at once," Eric Yuan, CEO of Zoom, said in a statement.
Zoom said it would offer an end-to-end encrypted meeting mode to all paid accounts.
[...] "This acquisition marks a key step for Zoom as we attempt to accomplish the creation of a truly private video communications platform that can scale to hundreds of millions of participants, while also having the flexibility to support Zoom's wide variety of uses," Yuan wrote in a blog post. "Our goal is to provide the most privacy possible for every use case, while also balancing the needs of our users and our commitment to preventing harmful behavior on our platform. Keybase's experienced team will be a critical part of this mission."
Details on Zoom's encryption roadmap are available on the Zoom blog.
Previously:
(2020-04-21) This Open-Source Program Deepfakes You During Zoom Meetings, in Real Time
(2020-04-20) Every Security Issue Uncovered so far in the Zoom Video Chat App
(2020-04-17) Looking for Alternative, Self-Hosted Audio (or Video) Chat Services
(2020-04-15) Over 500,000 Zoom Accounts Sold on Hacker Forums, the Dark Web
(2020-04-13) Zoom Admits Data Got Routed Through China
Also at TechCrunch and The Verge.
Zoom will provide end-to-end encryption to all users:
Zoom's CEO Eric S. Yuan today announced that end-to-end encryption (E2EE) will be provided to all users (paid and free) after verifying their accounts by providing additional identification info such as their phone number.
"We are also pleased to share that we have identified a path forward that balances the legitimate right of all users to privacy and the safety of users on our platform," Yuan said.
"This will enable us to offer E2EE as an advanced add-on feature for all of our users around the globe – free and paid – while maintaining the ability to prevent and fight abuse on our platform."
This update in Zoom's plans comes after the company announced on May 27 that E2EE will be available only to paying customers, with free/basic users to only get access to 256-bit GCM encryption.
[...] To provide all Zoom users with access to E2EE, Yuan says that they will have first verify their accounts through various means such as by verifying their phone numbers via text messages.
A Spanish youth court has sentenced 15 minors to one year of probation after spreading AI-generated nude images of female classmates in two WhatsApp groups.
The minors were charged with 20 counts of creating child sex abuse images and 20 counts of offenses against their victims' moral integrity.
[...] Many of the victims were too ashamed to speak up when the inappropriate fake images began spreading last year. Prior to the sentencing, a mother of one of the victims told The Guardian that girls like her daughter "were completely terrified and had tremendous anxiety attacks because they were suffering this in silence."
[...] Teens using AI to sexualize and harass classmates has become an alarming global trend. Police have probed disturbing cases in both high schools and middle schools in the US, and earlier this year, the European Union proposed expanding its definition of child sex abuse to more effectively "prosecute the production and dissemination of deepfakes and AI-generated material." Last year, US President Joe Biden issued an executive order urging lawmakers to pass more protections.
[...] In an op-ed for The Guardian today, journalist Lucia Osborne-Crowley advocated for laws restricting sites used to both generate and surface deepfake pornography, including regulating this harmful content when it appears on social media sites and search engines.
[...] An FAQ said that "WhatsApp has zero tolerance for child sexual exploitation and abuse, and we ban users when we become aware they are sharing content that exploits or endangers children," but it does not mention AI.
Previously on SoylentNews:
A High School's Deepfake Porn Scandal is Pushing US Lawmakers Into Action - 20231203
Cheer Mom Used Deepfake Nudes and Threats to Harass Daughter's Teammates, Police Say - 20210314
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 22 2020, @02:02AM (5 children)
What if a large percentage of the population is actually a deep fake?
I've heard it said some "powers" used men as "suits."
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 22 2020, @02:40AM (4 children)
Is it weird to request if in the next reboot of the matrix, one is reincarnated as the hottie in the red dress?
Asking for a friend...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 22 2020, @04:03AM (3 children)
harlot.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Wednesday April 22 2020, @06:39AM
Tomayto, tomahto.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 22 2020, @07:57AM (1 child)
Yeah...you meet this hot chick, zoom with her a bit, then find yourself conned into paying for a fine theatre and dinner with a hag.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 23 2020, @12:27AM
tale as old as time
beauty and the beast
(Score: 5, Insightful) by bart9h on Wednesday April 22 2020, @04:24AM (6 children)
It would be more useful to to make a fake image of myself pretending to pay attention, and occasionally making generic remarks.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by anubi on Wednesday April 22 2020, @07:53AM (2 children)
Careful here.... They might sweettalk your avatar into agreeing to a bunch of businesstalk, and you find yourself on the hook to fulfill what your avatar promised.
That being said, I see great use for this technology in business and advertising, where image and first impressions are everything. It should be quite effective on those who are more impressed by presentation over substance.
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]
(Score: 3, Funny) by pkrasimirov on Wednesday April 22 2020, @12:24PM (1 child)
The remarks don't need to be agreeing, they can be like "That's interesting" or "I see".
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 23 2020, @01:50AM
It just might work...
I have worked among those who would not recognize Eliza. As long as it wore an expensive suit and alluded to extensive wealth and expensive lifestyles, it might pass muster. Everyone would be afraid of it.
The emporer has no clothes. And sometimes makes no sense either. But you gotta do what you gotta do, even if you know better. No sense dying over defending a right-of-way.
(Score: 2) by crafoo on Wednesday April 22 2020, @11:17AM (2 children)
Hire someone in Nigeria to call in for you.
(Score: 4, Funny) by DannyB on Wednesday April 22 2020, @02:46PM
You would discover that everyone else on the conference call, except for you, were generous and kind enough to help a Nigerian prince to escape his country by helping him to facilitate wire transferring a fortune as part of his escape.
Don't put a mindless tool of corporations in the white house; vote ChatGPT for 2024!
(Score: 3, Funny) by Freeman on Wednesday April 22 2020, @03:29PM
Sounds like the first setup in a comedy movie, that just snowballs from there.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 4, Interesting) by bradley13 on Wednesday April 22 2020, @10:53AM (2 children)
In the course of Corona, I've gotten a lot more spam than usual. At least one piece of it was incredibly well faked - it genuinely looked like it was from my employer, right up until I did the "view source", because the subject seemed...off. I don't want to know how many non-IT-savvy employees just clicked on the link it contained. Phishing attacks are getting very sophisticated.
So, think of those scams where an email, spoofed to be from the boss, tells the accounting dept. to transfer $millions to Outer Elbonia. Now send a videoconference link and deep-fake the boss. How much more believable will that be?
Real-time deep-fakes will bring some really challenging security issues...
Everyone is somebody else's weirdo.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by crafoo on Wednesday April 22 2020, @11:22AM (1 child)
People might actually start using digital signatures if this continues.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by DannyB on Wednesday April 22 2020, @02:50PM
You beat me to it. That is exactly right. I don't think they are going to deep fake a digital signature.
People are the weak link. That is what deep fakes and scams would target.
The target will then become the boss who authorized the action that defrauds their own business. Is it possible for the bosses to become smart enough to recognize a ruse?
The bosses could rely on employees to recognize the ruse, and use a digital signature for the employee to sign off that this request appears to be genuine and not some clever fake.
Then employees who try to recognize these fakes will become the social engineering targets.
So they will need an authorization from their boss.
But then . . .
Don't put a mindless tool of corporations in the white house; vote ChatGPT for 2024!
(Score: 2) by nobu_the_bard on Wednesday April 22 2020, @04:08PM
Stuff like FaceRig's been around awhile, this is just the next logical step.
FaceRig lets you impose an animated character over yourself, so you can look like a talking fox or Santa Claus or something on video chat software. It's not as realistic as this but it's good enough if you just want to look like something besides yourself.
(Score: -1, Spam) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday April 22 2020, @09:30PM
Still sore @ me kicking yer ass publicly tranny freak https://soylentnews.org/comments.pl?noupdate=1&sid=33430&page=1&cid=889582#commentwrap [soylentnews.org] ? Yes, OBVIOUSLY (lol).
You did that all to yourself since you are incompetent & STUPID & a TWISTED ABOMINATION sick in the head TRANNY weirdo LOSER (but you sure TRY to "play smart" but vs. me you FELL FLAT ON YOUR FACE publicly, lol - no denying it loser).
You also threw a raged shitfit there, calling for the PUNK SITE OWNER HERE (help me mommy, lmao) to burn your account in due to your BLUNDERING shame publicly vs. me you can't hide, hehehe!
THEN YOU IMPERSONATED ME making it look like I APOLOGIZED TO YOU https://soylentnews.org/comments.pl?noupdate=1&sid=35327&page=1&cid=937346#commentwrap [soylentnews.org] you fucking DECEITFUL disgusting LYING TRANNY weirdo LOSER?
Bullshit I did!
Why WOULD I after LIES about me you spew (just a few below prove it you FUCK) & after I BLEW YOUR DUMB ASS AWAY in the link above?
Hahahahaha - OH, the PUBLIC HUMILIATION for you, lol!
Doubtless due to ALL THE DRUGS YOU ARE ON (& YES, I KNOW that you are) & you SHOULD have had your account deleted.
You need to be DELETED from this LIFE you sick in the head FREAK "TrAnStEsTiCuLaR MONSTROSITY".
Barbara Hudson LIKES TO TELL LIES ABOUT ME (projecting "its" OWN issues in being a SAW OFF ITS OWN COCK & BALLS useless loser "self DISABLED" TRANNY FREAK, lol - that's no disability, it's INSANITY clearly!)
You lie saying I don't work OR that I haven't in "25 yrs" etc.?
WRONG!
I've said it MANY TIMES to YOU directly, LYING FUCK YOU ARE, that I still contract idiot but I don't HAVE to as I run my own show in other business!
FACT: Still - I haven't HAD to work for ANYONE but myself really since 2007 freak.
I've told you before I RUN MY OWN BUSINESS & actually have WORTH + real estate holdings galore!
(That's MY real worth, & you barbara TOM hudson don't have SHIT, you USELESS LEECH WELFARE SUCKING "DISABLED" total BULLSHIT ARTIST twisted TRANZOID loser (by SAWING OFF YOUR COCK & BALLS since you are an INSANE whacko that did that to yourself too, OMG, lol) - truer words were NEVER spoken about you, loser).
You "VOLUNTEER"? LOL - doing what??
Barbara Hudson's SUCK SERVICE for OLD HOMOS @ the VA Hospital??
LMAO - probably.
(Some "Essential Service", lmao).
* I hope this shithole waste of a site closes off ANON POSTS - why? Barely ANYONE comes here as is, do that, this place will go to ZERO & have to go away (& thus, so will you freak, lol)
Most of all - you & your sockpuppet "friends" (just you most likely using multiple accounts) ARE REDUCED TO IMPERSONATING ME since you can't manage to prove me wrong in that TOPMOST LINK to your UTTER PUBLIC HUMILIATION vs. myself, in IMPERSONATIONS of ME like e.g. https://soylentnews.org/comments.pl?noupdate=1&sid=37178&page=1&cid=985582#commentwrap [soylentnews.org] (since I didn't write the post you replied to)!
It proves EVERYTHING that needs proving here along w/ my FACTUAL STATEMENTS here too about you, scumbag TRANSTESTICLE FREAK!
All in addition to your MULTIPLE SELF-DEFEATS vs. me in the TOPMOST LINK above you CAN'T STAND since you were SO STUPID blundering mistake after mistake vs. me in its points...
APK
P.S.=> Lastly: FREAK, I've done MORE THAN YOU EVER HAVE or EVER WILL you USELESS no skills BULLSHIT ARTIST LAZY STUPID piece of TWISTO TRANNY CRAP FREAK ABOMINATION & you, + most likely MOST here, KNOW already!
Anyone can see the link I posted above as to that much & they'll see results I produced that did well vs. threats online w/ @ LEAST 1/4 MILLION USERS OF MY WORK TO DATE
+ TONS MORE that YES, you ARE AWARE OF in publications in computing I have to MY NAME!
(You don't & NEVER will loser)
That's all in addition to my being paid well for code I wrote that SELLS TO THIS VERY DAY from a certified Microsoft partner that placed as a FINALIST @ Microsoft TechEd 2000-2002 in its HARDEST CATEGORY SQLServer Performance Enhancement 2 yrs. in a ROW you DO-NOTHING INCAPABLE imcompetent FAILURE LOSER you TRULY are!
So, & I've asked this of you before (to SHAME your LAZY incompetent ass): YOU'VE DONE MORE/BETTER? Hell no!
(& a LOSER you KNOW you ARE never can or will, freak (& we all know it - prove otherwise - YOU CAN'T since you haven't EVER DONE SHIT of ANY worth whatsoever you USELESS mentally TWISTED trantesticular MONSTROSITY abberration abomination). I do well in all things - whereas YOU do nothing but "CHATTER ONLINE" like the FUCKING FOOL FREAK TRANNY LOSER you are TWISTO - everyone KNOWS what YOU are, lol & it is DISGUSTING you RIDICULOUS ABOMINATION))... apk
(Score: 2) by hendrikboom on Wednesday April 22 2020, @11:31PM
On a dating app you might want to deepfake yourself as a younger version of yourself for a better first impression -- that won't immediately be recognized as a flat-out lie when you meet in person.
-- hendrik
(Score: 2) by legont on Thursday April 23 2020, @04:28AM
I can finally outsource myself and rip all the difference.
"Wealth is the relentless enemy of understanding" - John Kenneth Galbraith.