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Not long ago, I saw a movie called "The Running Man" starring Arnold Schwarzenneger. It was an 80s movie adapted from a Stephen King book of the same name and it's opening premise, a soldier framed for murder via government tampering with evidence couldn't be more relevant today. I'm sure at the time, it was just science fiction. A helicopter pilot ordered to fire on civilian protesters refuses, is overpowered, the civilians are killed anyway, and he is framed for the murders with advanced video manipulation showing him relishing in the carnage.
Have a look at this video and remember that the face of the woman talking isn't real.
- Lifelike "CG Emily" Animation -
Now look when it was posted. Over 6 years ago. That is a LONG time when technology is concerned. In fact, our capabilities at this point are so advanced that almost entire action movies are done with CG with only the random dialogue sequences being true filmed footage. Your average person just can't tell the difference. Before we know it, actors may never have to leave their homes to star in a film. They'd just have to license their image to a studio and you could have "Rocky 12" starring a young Stallone, or we could bring back Elvis, James Dean, and Marilyn Monroe to star in the next "Back to the Future" with a young Michael J Fox.
This all sounds fun, and it would be, but remember who's hands all technology eventually falls into, if they didn't create it themselves. If movie studios can produce believable video imagery that never actually happened, what's stopping our government from doing the same? What's to stop anyone from creating sophisticated graphics and distributing them to news stations as real footage? There are virtually no means to detect this sort of thing aside from a good eye and the "Uncanny Valley".
Already, no videos of purported UFO sightings can be trusted because there are scores of amazingly realistic videos on Youtube of CG UFOs flying through, under and over clouds and weaving between skyscrapers. What else should we be wary of? Pictures in magazines have been "touched up" for decades and video wouldn't be much different. What events have we already seen.... that may never have happened at all?
The scariest part of all of this, is that my example from the Schwarzenegger movie is already possible, and being done. In this Video you can see realtime facial and speech manipulation on world leaders. They can show us anything they want, and not the people, watchdog groups, or the media would ever know the difference.
In closing, have a look at these images.
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This woman is entirely computer generated.
