Deepfake Video Misrepresented CBS Anchor and Stabbing Suspect Online
Deepfake videos posted to Instagram manipulated footage of a CBS News Texas anchor and fabricated imagery of a stabbing suspect to spread misinformation during an online campaign exploiting a fatal stabbing incident. The original Instagram post was removed after circulation.
What happened
An AI-generated deepfake video posted to Instagram manipulated footage of CBS News Texas anchor Doug Dunbar to make it appear he said something he did not.
The same video used AI to create an entirely fake video image of stabbing suspect Karmelo Anthony with a knife in his hand.
The video was reposted on multiple accounts before the original Instagram post was taken down.
Reported impact
Online trolls and race baiters seized on a fatal stabbing at a Frisco high school track meet to spread misinformation and create deepfake videos.
Index analysis
Professor Christopher Meerdo at the University of North Texas stated that advances in technology are making it easier to create deepfakes, with one able to be made from just a single still image.
Advances in artificial intelligence are moving quickly and will result in more convincing deepfakes requiring smaller data sets.
Governance controls
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the end of the use of fact-checkers on Facebook and Instagram, relying instead on users to flag misinformation through Community Notes.
Dr. Daxton Stewart, a journalism professor at Texas Christian University, said that recent changes by Meta have exacerbated the problem of disinformation spread online.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.