Actor creates AI deepfake of deceased Chilean celebrity
Chilean actor Cristóbal Romero used AI deepfake technology to create videos simulating deceased celebrity Sebastián Leiva and other public figures on Instagram. The videos sparked public backlash from followers who criticized the lack of respect toward Leiva's memory and family, though Romero defended his actions as an attempt to learn audiovisual techniques.
What happened
Cristóbal Romero, an actor known for his role in the docureality series 'Perla', published videos on Instagram using AI filters to create deepfakes of public figures, including deceased Sebastián Leiva, known as 'Cangri', who died in 2019 in the Bolivian desert.
The deepfake video of Cangri showed him smiling and touching his face, and was shared without consent from his family.
Reported impact
Followers criticized Romero for lack of respect toward Leiva's memory and family, with commenters noting Leiva had a daughter who could see the images and questioning whether the family had given consent.
Romero defended his actions, stating his intention was to learn about AI and audiovisual effects, and said he would continue creating similar videos with other figures including Hitler and Pinochet.
Classification
Sources and evidence
Sources not yet published
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