The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) not too long ago flagged a video that includes a deepfake audio of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. supposedly instructing the navy to behave in opposition to a overseas nation.
Marcos by no means gave such an order, the PCO stated, and that his voice was mimicked within the video by the usage of generative synthetic intelligence (AI).
“Ginamit lang ‘yung boses ng Pangulo at ginawan siya ng script para ilapat doon sa video na mukha siyang mismo ang nagsasalita. Nililinaw lang po ng PCO na hindi ito totoo,” PCO Assistant Secretary Dale de Vera advised a public briefing on Wednesday.
(They spliced the voice of the President and used it for a script of their video. We want to make clear that it isn’t true.)
The video circulating on-line has since been deleted, and the channel that uploaded it was banned by YouTube, however not with out elevating issues.
National Security Council (NSC) Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya warned that the video may very well be used to muddle the problem on the West Philippine Sea, such because the purported “gentleman’s agreement” relating to the Ayungin Shoal.
“Pinagsabong yung mga Pilipino, pinagsabong tayong lahat eh, ngayon nagtuturuan na. Sino ‘yung ganito sino ‘yung ganyan, then we saw there was a foreign hand that was manipulating, some form of information manipulation,” stated Malaya.
(They are pitting Filipinos in opposition to one another. We noticed there was a overseas hand that was manipulating, some type of info manipulation.)
Deepfakes, in accordance with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), are the “mimicry of the voice or image of the person purporting to be someone else.”
It can be generated by splicing photos, videos, audio, or a combination of the formats to create deceiving and false content.
“Deepfake technology is a tool being used either on its own or with the use of AI…to mimic the imagery and the voice, or sometimes both, of a particular individual by other persons,” DICT spokesperson Assistant Secretary Renato Paraiso advised GMA News Online.
“This can be done in real-time or as recorded,” he added.
Now, how does AI play a task in its proliferation? Generative AI is making it simpler and sooner to create deepfakes, stated Paraiso.
“You just program it tapos AI na ang kumukuha through all available sources. Whether it’s on the internet or social media pages, there are other sources, sila ang kumukuha ng mga sample ng mga voices. ‘Yung intonation, especially ‘pag may mga words kayo in-utter pinagtatahi-tahi niya po para magaya ang boses,” he added.
(You simply program it after which AI will collect all of the obtainable sources. Whether it is on the web, social media pages, or different sources. It stitches the spliced supplies with a purpose to imitate the voice.)
“With the imagery, it’s the same thing. It gathers imagery, the pixelated imagery…Even in real-time puwede siya mag-deepfake. Ganun ka-advance ang technology ng deepfake para magaya ‘yung image at mannerisms at galaw ng isang tao,” he added.
(It’s the identical factor with pictures. It may even do it in actual time. That’s how superior the know-how is.)
Paraiso stated folks use deepfakes in a number of methods. Some customers make the most of them to create parody content material, whereas others had been reported to have been crafting deepfakes for “nefarious” intent.
“Yung extra nakakabahalang use ng deepfake is to sow disinformation and mistrust sa ating kababayan and ‘yung recently na in-attempt na magkaroon ng civil unrest, and it delves into the national security of our country,” he said.
(The more nefarious use of it is if it is being used to sow disinformation and distrust. Recently, it was also attempted to create civil unrest, and it delves into the national security of our country.)
“Wala akong magandang nakikitang idinudulot at kapakinabangan sa deepfake. ‘Yun nga yung example natin kanina na pang-katatawanan lang, still, it causes confusion,” the DICT official added.
(I don’t see any good use for it. Even parody content material causes confusion.)
In 2019, a video was edited to make it seem that former senator Leila de Lima had acknowledged that she was a protector of the Bilibid drug lords and that she would step down from workplace.
Several international personalities have additionally fallen sufferer to deepfakes, together with Pope Francis, US President Joe Biden, and Taylor Swift.
“The technology of simulation behind these programs can be useful in certain specific fields, but it becomes perverse when it distorts our relationships with others and with reality,” the pope wrote in January.
Deepfake regulation
With the appearance of deepfake know-how, how is the Philippines addressing it? Paraiso stated the nation nonetheless lacked legal guidelines for its regulation, however there are measures penalizing faulty use, together with spreading pretend news.
The DICT cited Article 154 of the Revised Penal Code, which states that “any person who, by means of printing, lithography, or any other means of publication, shall publish or cause to be published as news any false news which may endanger the public order or cause damage to the interest or credit of the State.”
It is punishable by arresto mayor or jail time of one month and one day to six months and a fine.
“Deepfake is a crime of content. Hindi naman ibig sabihin ‘yung mismong technology is bad or the use of AI is bad pero that particular law, ang kelangan natin ma-address yung content creators nito kung sino ang gumagawa nito,” stated Paraiso.
(Deepfake is a criminal offense of content material. The use of deepfake or AI just isn’t dangerous, however what we have to handle is the content material creators concerned on this.)
In February, the DICT appealed to legislators to craft legal guidelines for AI regulation because the 2025 midterm elections draw close to.
Currently, the DICT is coordinating with social media platforms reminiscent of Meta, X, and TikTookay to curb malicious deepfakes within the nation. It additionally signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the websites final yr to combat pretend news.
“We signed an MOU last year wherein talagang sinasaad dito na makikipagtulungan sila with the government’s effort to prevent this particular fake news and to tailor fit their community guidelines and policies para ma-address ‘yung challenges na kinakaharap natin, specifically dun sa social circle natin sa Pilipinas,” he stated.
(We signed an MOU final yr and it states that they’ll coordinate with the federal government’s effort to stop this explicit pretend news and tailor their neighborhood pointers and insurance policies to deal with our present challenges.)
“’Yung kasi bawat bansa iba-iba ‘yung tradition, customs. Kailangan ‘yung mga kinakaharap natin na challenges, kailangan ma-tailor fit at ma-address ‘yung challenges na ‘to ng mga social media platforms,” he added.
(Every nation has its traditions and customs. Social media platforms have to tailor their neighborhood pointers to deal with challenges.)
Meanwhile, the DICT issued reminders to the general public to stop falling sufferer to deepfakes.
“To further prevent ‘yung pagkalat o paniniwala sa deepfakes, only go to trusted sites, news forums. Kasi ito yung mga nakikita natin sa social media, hindi natin ma-verify. Hindi natin makita kung saan talaga ‘yung sources po nito,” stated Paraiso.
(To additional stop falling sufferer to deep fakes, solely go to trusted websites and news boards. We can not confirm what we’re seeing on-line since we don’t know its sources.)
“Maging mapagmatyag tayo. Maging maalam sa mga emerging new technology,” he added.
(Let us be vigilant, particularly with rising applied sciences.) — VBL, GMA Integrated News
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
