Reimagined movies created through deepfake technology have become so believable that people are easily tricked into thinking they’ve watched a film that doesn’t actually exist.
A team of psychologists, led by Gillian Murphy from University College Cork in Ireland, conducted a study to explore concerns about AI-powered deepfakes spreading misinformation and distorting memories.
In the study, 436 participants were invited to view a series of deepfake videos that showcased fictional movie remakes featuring different actors.
Participants viewed clips or descriptions of movie remakes. Some were real studio remakes (e.g. Carrie, Tomb Raider), while others were fictitious deepfakes: Brad Pitt in The Shining, Will Smith in the Matrix, Charlize Theron in Captain Marvel, Chris Pratt in Indiana Jones. pic.twitter.com/AhXnhQpaZY
— Gillian Murphy (@gillysmurf) July 13, 2023
The participants were under the impression that the survey focused on recent movie remakes and were shown four real remakes and two deepfake remakes in a random order. It was only revealed later in the survey that the deepfakes were actually false.
In some instances, participants were provided with written descriptions of the remakes instead of viewing the deepfake videos.
Among the deepfake remakes shown to participants was a clip where Will Smith portrayed the main character Neo in The Matrix, a role originally played by Keanu Reeves.
Another remake replaced Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall in The Shining with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Additional deepfake clips featured Charlize Theron as the lead in Captain Marvel and Chris Pratt as the iconic Indiana Jones.
Meanwhile, real movies like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Total Recall, Carrie, and Tomb Raider were also shown to participants.
The study involved asking participants whether they had seen or heard of the original film as well as the remake they were shown.
Results showed that participants easily formed false memories of the deepfake remakes. Nearly 49% of participants believed that these movies were authentic.
Additionally, many reported that they found the “fake remake” to be better than the original film, with 41% expressing this sentiment for Captain Marvel, 13% for Indiana Jones, 12% for The Matrix, and 9% for The Shining.
Interestingly, the false memory rates were equally high when participants were presented with written descriptions instead of the deepfake videos. This suggests that deepfake technology may not have a greater impact on memory distortion compared to other methods.
While deepfakes raise concerns for reasons like non-consensual pornography and bullying, the researchers state that their study reveals deepfakes are not uniquely powerful in manipulating our memories of the past. Their findings highlight that it is possible to distort memories using non-technical means.
The researchers suggest that these findings can provide valuable insights in the future design and regulation of deepfake technology.