The uncomfortable truths behind deepfakes - The Observer

TV star Collien Fernandes, part of a well-known media couple, discovered deepfake images of herself circulating on the internet. The incident underscores the potential for harm in an era where the lines between reality and fabrication are increasingly blurred.

What happened

In 2024, Fernandes, who had previously made a documentary about AI deepfake porn, identified content falsely attributed to her. This March, in Der Spiegel, she pointed to her ex-husband Christian Ulmen as the source, calling it "virtual rape". Ulmen denies the allegations. The case highlights how deepfakes can exploit existing societal biases and inflict significant harm, regardless of whether viewers believe the content is real.