Deepfakes: China Unveils AI News Anchor That’s Almost Indistinguishable From a Real Human
(Pixabay)
Epoch Times reported the following:
China Unveils AI News Anchor That’s Almost Indistinguishable From a Real Human
AI is a high priority for the regime to strengthen its authoritarian rule“Hello everyone, I am the artificial intelligence news anchor on National Business Daily. I am the virtual twin of the original host. I have been running—reporting the news—undetected for 70 days now,” the AI news anchor N Xiaohei revealed itself to its television viewers on Dec. 20, 2021, after 1700 hours of a continuous live news broadcast.
On the same day, the Chinese state-controlled media National Business Daily (NBD) and the AI company Xiaoice jointly announced the official launch of their collaborative live news broadcasting TV programs run entirely by AI—the first of its kind. …
According to an NBD report, AI news anchors are modeled using deep learning neural network technology, enabling them to broadcast in Mandarin, English, and other languages. The advanced AI technology is now being used to upgrade and transform the Chinese media industry as well as its film industry. Since the success of the AI Business Daily program, each NBD news channel will now also fully collaborate with Xiaoice to create AI TV programs.
Xiaoice, or “Microsoft Little Ice,” is an AI system developed by Microsoft Asia in 2014. The company was formerly known as the AI Xiaoice Team of Microsoft Software Technology Center Asia. It is Microsoft’s biggest independent AI R&D team. In July 2020, Microsoft spun off its Xiaoice business into a separate company, allowing it to operate as an independent entity in China and other Asian countries. The Xiaoice Framework is one of the world’s complete artificial intelligence frameworks with the largest AI interactions globally. …
Senior media professional Shi Shan told The Epoch Times that the Chinese regime has no bottom line for fraud.
“[The CCP’s] AI technology can now produce a close-to-perfect virtual news anchor, but what is next? A fake politician? A party leader? Perhaps it has already been done,” Shi said. “The CCP is great at deceit. The international communities now have to pay close attention to the authenticity of China’s audiovisual programs and other media content.” https://www.theepochtimes.com/china-reveals-ai-news-anchor-almost-indistinguishable-from-a-real-human_4207963.html?utm_source=partner&utm_campaign=ZeroHedge
So, the Chinese have successfully produced deepfakes that genuinely look real enough to fool almost everybody. Having news readers who are computer generated can certainly help insure that only messages that those in control want out will come out.
Of course, it is not just the Chinese that have been producing deepfakes.
Last Summer, there is a documentary that was released Friday about chef and celebrity Anthony Bourdain (who committed suicide three years ago–see Suicides: Can God save Anthony Bourdain and Kate Spade?):
The Ethics of a Deepfake Anthony Bourdain Voice
The new documentary “Roadrunner” uses A.I.-generated audio without disclosing it to viewers. How should we feel about that?
July 17, 2021
The documentary “Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain,” which opened in theatres on Friday, is an angry, elegant, often overwhelmingly emotional chronicle of the late television star’s life and his impact on the people close to him. …
To craft the film’s narrative, Neville drew on tens of thousands of hours of video footage and audio archives—and, for three particular lines heard in the film, Neville commissioned a software company to make an A.I.-generated version of Bourdain’s voice. https://www.newyorker.com/culture/annals-of-gastronomy/the-ethics-of-a-deepfake-anthony-bourdain-voice
While his family gave permission for the deepfake artificial voice, because Roadrunner was supposed to be a true documentary, that took truth away.
In May of 2021, I posted the following:
In the first century, the Apostle Paul wrote:
1 Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. (2 Thessalonians 2:1-2, NKJV)
Apparently, the Apostle Paul had to deal with some who faked a letter claiming it was from him as well as reports he said things he did not say. So, he warned Christians about that.
But that, of course, did not stop the fakes.
Various false gospels came out in the 2nd century (for some details, see also Who Gave the World the Bible? The Canon: Why do we have the books we now do in the Bible? Is the Bible complete?).
In the late 2nd/early 3rd century, a Church of God leader known as Serapion of Antioch used the term pseudepigrapha to warn against something falsely called the Gospel of Peter (Peter did not write it; for more details, see also Who Gave the World the Bible? The Canon: Why do we have the books we now do in the Bible? Is the Bible complete?).
The Apostle Paul also warned:
12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; (2 Timothy 3:12-14, KJV)
With modern technology, highly persuasive deceit is possible–and to a degree impossible in Paul’s day. But he warned to Christians to have assurance in true teachers.
The Apostle Paul also taught:
21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. (1 Thessalonians 5:21, KJV)
Once you have proven the truth, you need to hold fast to it so you will not be deceived like others. Or tossed to and fro by every wind purporting to be true, “that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting” (Ephesians 4:14, NKJV).
Many post and say things that are not true about the CCOG.
In addition to not believing lies being posted against the truth and church leadership happening now, more deceit is coming. …
Yes, computer technology and artificial intelligence can make very convincing fakes.
More deep fakes are coming. Some will be used for purpose of deceit and character assassination.
I expect that the time will come when deepfake technolgy will be used to make it seem like I, and others in the CCOG, say and/or do things, that we did not say or do. Actually, I mentioned that in a recent sermon:
The letters/epistles of the Apostle Paul to the Thessalonians were written around 51 A.D. In this sermon, Dr. Thiel goes over each and every verse in 1 First Thessalonians and Second Thessalonians. He goes over them being followers of Jesus who were imitators of the Churches of God in Judea, the fact that they had persecutions and difficulties, and that they were considered fine Christian examples to the Christian brethren in places like Macedonia. Love, hope, faith, and exhortation are discussed. As are prophetic matters concerning the resurrection, return of Jesus, the falling away, and the son of perdition. Dr. Thiel reminds believers that both Jesus and the Apostle Paul taught Christians to “watch’ what is going on so that they would know better than the world what was happening as well as when Jesus was close to returning. He also discussed uncleanness, sexual immorality, and self-control. He encouraged Christians to be kind and comfort one another. He also warned that while Paul faced letters falsely claimed to have been written by him, in the end times technology allows for “deep fakes” and that believers should not be soon shaken when such happens. Dr. Thiel read Paul’s admonishment to work and to not be busybodies–he also referred to the mystery of God’s plan for the purpose of humanity. This sermon is part of a long-running series to cover each and every verse of the New Testament in the Continuing Church of God by going through all the books.
Here is a link to the sermon: 1 & 2 Thessalonians.
Is AI potentially dangerous?
Yes, there are dangers of deep fakes.
The Apostle Paul also warned.
3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, NKJV).Could not “any means” include some type of AI and/or deepfakes?
I believe so.
Consider that faster development of knowledge was prophesied in the Bible to occur during the time of the end:
4 “But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.” (Daniel 12:4, NKJV)
What is called ‘artificial intelligence’ is consistent with that prophecy. Not all increased knowledge is good as humans often do bad things with knowledge. (Thiel B. Daily Mail: An AI company is using deepfake technology to seamlessly dub your favorite actor’s dialogue; COGwriter: Dangers of ‘deep fakes’. COGwriter, May 25, 2021)
While the Anthony Bourdain AI documentary is not a real threat, it does show that clearly technology exists to make it look like someone said or did something that they did not actually say.
The fact that the Chinese have pulled off what they have shows that they can clearly make it seem like someone says a lot that they never said.
That has prophetic implications.
Related to prophetic ramifications of deepfakes, last year, the Continuing Church of God (CCOG) put out the following video on our Bible News Prophecy YouTube channel:
Lies and Deepfakes
Jesus taught that God’s prophets would be reviled and spoken evil of. He also warned that the devil was a liar that worked to take the word of God away from those who heard it. The Apostle Paul warned that “evil men and seducers would wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived” (2 Timothy 3:13, KJV). He also warned that letters purported from him with false messages were an issue. COG leader Serapion of Antioch denounced a gospel falsely attributed to the Apostle Peter as pseudepigrapha. With the internet, lies can spread faster than before. With technology, like artificial intelligence, can we expect to see deepfakes that will make it look like Christian leaders say or do things that they did not? Do you, “prove all things” so you will not fall from the coming increased deceit? Will YOU hold fast to that which is good or be one who “loves and practices a lie’? Dr. Thiel refers to aspects of modern technology and various scriptures to warn Christians to not be misled by what is coming.
Here is a link to the video: Lies and Deepfakes.
Bible prophecy shows that a militaristic European dictator will arise, and will apparently use something like AI.
Last July, I posted the following warning:
Expect deepfakes. (Thiel B. The New Yorker: The Ethics of a Deepfake Anthony Bourdain Voice; COGwriter: Prophetic ramifications of deepfakes. COGwriter, July 18, 2021)
The Chinese have now publicly admitted that they have done this.
Furthermore, expect something much, much, worse than voice fakes to come.
Expect those who do not have the love of the truth to try to make it look like faithful Christian leaders say things they did not say.
There will also be Satanically-induced signs and wonders coming as the Bible warns:
9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12)
Notice that the Bible teaches that those who do not have sufficient love of the truth will believe them.
The Bible also teaches in the last chapter of its last book:
14 Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. 15 But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie. (Revelation 22:14-15)
Hopefully, you truly do His commandments and have proved the truth.
Do not be among those who will believe and love the coming lies.
As well as lies currently being told on the internet and elsewhere by various Satanically-influenced accusers of the brethren.
The prophesied reality is that in the last days deceivers will get worse and worse:
12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. 13 But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. (2 Timothy 3:12-13, NKJV)
Expect deepfakes by governments to be part of that.
Do not be among those who will be deceived by them.
Some items of possibly related interest may include:
Preparing for the ‘Short Work’ and The Famine of the Word What is the ‘short work’ of Romans 9:28? Who is preparing for it? Here is a link to a related video sermon titled: The Short Work.
Internet Censorship and Prophecy Are concerns about internet censorship limited to nations such as Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea. But what about the USA, Canada, and Germany? What about the European Union? What about internet media companies such as Facebook, Google, YouTube, or email services like MailChimp? Has the attempt to control information been made by various ones over the centuries? Was the New Testament affected by it? What about the church throughout the centuries? Is the Bible already been partially censored? Which Bible prophecies point to coming Internet censorship? What about the Book of Amos? What about the coming 666 Beast and final Antichrist? Is there anything that can be done about this? Should Philadelphian Christians be working on anything now? Will preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God vs. a highly media-supported alternative lead to a ‘famine of the word’? More internet censorship is coming as various statements in the Bible support. This is a video.
Banned by HWA and Ambassador Watch There are various ones that oppose the Church of God, but they will not prevail (Matthew 16:18). This is an article about some anti-Church of God tactics.
Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? Does God have 7,000 year plan? What year may the six thousand years of human rule end? When will Jesus return? 2029 or or 2031 or 20xx? There is also a video titled 6000 Years: When will God’s Kingdom Come? Here is a link to the article in Spanish: ¿Tiene Dios un plan de 6,000 años?
Might the U.S.A. Be Gone by 2028? Are there prophetic reasons to believe that the USA will not last two complete presidential terms? Yes. There is a tradition attributed to the Hebrew prophet Elijah that humanity had 6,000 years to live before being replaced by God’s Kingdom. There are scriptures, writings in the Talmud, early Christian teachings that support this. Also, even certain Hindu writings support it. Here is a link to a related video: Is the USA prophesied to be destroyed by 2028? In Spanish: Seran los Estados Unidos Destruidos en el 2028?
The Great Tribulation: What Happens First? What events have happened? What are some events that are now happening? And what events need to happen for the Great Tribulation to start? Here is a link to a related sermon video: Counting Down to the Great Tribulation. Here is a video in the Spanish language: Contando los eventos y el inicio de la Gran Tribulación.
Is a Great Reset Coming? Klaus Schwab of the World Economic Forum has proposed a societal change that has been basically endorsed by the Vatican and many world leaders. Does the Bible prophesy a major reset? Here is a link to a related video: Will there be a “Great Reset”?
Who Gave the World the Bible? The Canon: Why do we have the books we now do in the Bible? Is the Bible complete? Are there lost gospels? What about the Apocrypha? Is the Septuagint better than the Masoretic text? What about the Textus Receptus vs. Nestle Alland? Was the New Testament written in Greek, Aramaic, or Hebrew? Which translations are based upon the best ancient text? Did the true Church of God have the canon from the beginning? Here are links to related sermons: Let’s Talk About the Bible, The Books of the Old Testament, The Septuagint and its Apocrypha, Masoretic Text of the Old Testament, and Lost Books of the Bible, and Let’s Talk About the New Testament, The New Testament Canon From the Beginning, English Versions of the Bible and How Did We Get Them?, What was the Original Language of the New Testament?, Original Order of the Books of the Bible, and Who Gave the World the Bible? Who Had the Chain of Custody?
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