AI or Artificial Intelligence is dominating the world. Or at least, it’s certainly in the process of doing so. The arrival of Chat GPT has been a boon to students and threatened writers’ livelihoods.
One of the reasons the Writers Guild of America (WGA) is striking is that they want studios to regulate the use of AI so that it doesn’t take over their jobs. But AI isn’t only limited to writing. Their most significant impact has been in the world of photos and video.
Daily, tons of breathtaking photo-realistic pictures churned out by AI are posted on the internet. Even though initially it was possible to sort out which ones were made by software, thanks to AI failing to render human fingers and arms correctly, doing so has become incredibly difficult as the days have gone by.
As such, it has become easy to spread misinformation as well. Recently, a photograph of Tom Cruise with his stunt doubles went viral. But the question is- is the picture real?
The viral snap of Tom Cruise posing with his two stunt doubles in almost identical clothing is fake. The image was created using the AI-powered app Midjourney by artist Ong Hui Woo with the caption, “Tom Cruise’s stunt doubles celebrating at the MI 7 premiere after party.” He had posted to the official Facebook page of the Midjourney app.
Is the Picture of Tom Cruise with His Stunt Doubles AI-Generated?
Recently, an image of Tom Cruise with his two stunt doubles went viral on Twitter. Social media users were stunned because the three of them looked eerily similar to each other but also not quite. All three were smiling, while two were wearing the same white shirt with black pants. The other was wearing white pants with a white shirt. They were all looking at the camera.
Many believed that the one in the middle was Tom Cruise while the two men standing by his side were the doubles. The picture was allegedly taken at the Mission Impossible 7 after party, and the two stunt doubles worked with Cruise on that film. Initially, no one questioned whether the photo was AI generated because stunt doubles often tend to look quite a bit like the stars they are doubling for.
As a result, the photograph went viral on Instagram, Facebook, and Reddit. However, it turns out the picture is fake and AI-generated. It was created by Ong Hui Woo, an artist, using Midjourney, an AI-powered application. The image was posted by Hui Woo on the official Midjourney Facebook page with the following caption:
“Tom Cruise’s stunt doubles celebrating at the MI 7 premiere after party. If you intend to copy and paste these photos on your website or your FB, please at least mention and give credit to the original creator (which is me) or Midjourney, the platform where all these images are created.”
What also proved the photo was fake was that a Google reverse image search showed no credible source attached to the picture. However, many questioned the image’s authenticity even before it was revealed that it was AI-generated.
Some noticed that the guy in the middle’s fingernails seemed missing. Others noted that a closer examination of the three faces showed that their skin looked uncannily smooth, almost wax-like.
Also, the man on the right had his skin melding with his shirt. Additionally, the background chandelier was incomplete. Several fans of the Top Gun star also joked that Tom Cruise does his stunts, so he couldn’t have stunt doubles. This image has again generated conversations about the future of AI and how one can accurately find out if a photo is fake before it goes viral.
Harvard Business Review reported in May that Sam Altman, the OpenAI chief executive, testified before a Senate committee and said that regulators and lawmakers should start setting limits on AI systems. He was quoted saying:
“As this technology advances, we understand that people are anxious about how it could change how we live. We are too. If this technology goes wrong, it can go quite wrong, (and do) significant harm to the world.”
It remains to be seen what actions get taken regarding limiting or regulating the use of AI.
What is your thought on using AI to create fake pictures of celebrities?
Should this portrait be used as an example to tackle AI systems? How should people spot fake pics when AI-powered apps are improving at a breathtaking pace daily?
Let us know your thought on the AI discussion below.
