Deepfake – the word itself has ‘fake’ in it, naturally leading people to view it with scepticism.
If we go by the dictionary definition, it’s a digitally altered video of a person where their face or body has been morphed in a way that it appears to be someone else. The definition ends with the phrase, “typically used maliciously or to spread false information”.
For a technology that has long been associated with nefarious use, why are more and more creators and marketers even thinking of using it in the first place? The answer may depend from person to person, but ultimately it all boils down to one word: Intent.
Ethics in marketing has always been a grey area. How much a product does what it claims to do is a top question in consumers’ minds when they see an advertisement, but their awareness of marketing ‘tactics’ is now at a historical high. They have learned to take most campaigns, if not all, with a pinch of salt.
But the onus of following ethical marketing guidelines, no matter how loosely they are set, still lies with the marketer.
The problem with deepfakes and the general public’s poor opinion of it can be traced back to how it has been used in the past – to bait audiences to buy into an idea. In cases where the stakes for a person’s credibility is high, it can be very damaging if their digitally altered versions are used to push for a self-serving agenda.
In Singapore, there have even been talks of putting a temporary ban on deepfakes, following the circulation of a deepfake of Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Facebook. He called the video out for its malicious intent and said it was “dangerous and potentially harmful to our national interests”.
Of course, the use of generative AI to perpetuate misleading information in political campaigns is something to be very cautious of. In fact, it also poses risks to an individual’s privacy and security, as one of the most common uses of deepfakes is in pornography. It could also open the gateway for cybercriminals to execute phishing schemes or identity theft with remarkable accuracy by convincingly mimicking individuals.
The dangers of deepfake are imminent. But despite it, can the technology still be used for commercial campaigns? This is where navigating that said grey area in marketing ethics is important.
Marketers are not unfamiliar with the misuse of AI. Along with the rise of scam advertisements and AI-generated spams, copyright infringement is also a real issue.
AI content generators often sift through massive archives that may include copyrighted material, putting marketers in a tough spot. Ensuring truly original content also becomes nearly impossible without an in-house platform, and outsourcing creative work only deepens the struggle with intellectual property rights.
However, when used strategically, generative AI content and deepfakes can be put to good use and avoid common pitfalls. The key is to use it with transparency. In 2022, despite the flak that deepfakes have attracted, Pepsi saw a satire opportunity and seized it to create a memorable campaign featuring Indian actor Salman Khan, and a virtually altered version of his iconic ‘90s character Prem from a well-loved Bollywood classic.
Lays also joined the bandwagon. Their ‘Lays Messi Messages’ creatively used AI to allow users to send invites to their friends using a Lionel Messi deepfake, creating a buzz during the UEFA Champions League in 2021.
Both campaigns were successful in striking a chord with viewers because it was clear that deepfake technology was used. It was clear that it wasn’t being used to distort the truth, but rather to engage the audience playfully and entertainingly to tap into their excitement and nostalgia.
On the other hand, they also kept themselves away from the potential drawbacks of copyright infringement by involving the person in the deepfake in the campaigns, making the public aware that they had created the deepfake with the owners' consent.
And in marketing, when the public perception is on your side, half the battle is already won. The lesson to learn here is that generative AI does not necessarily need to be banned if it can be used in a smart way that doesn’t question the audience’s intellect, nor put into question the credibility of the owner of the content.
AI is not the new frontier in marketing anymore, but it is also rapidly progressing. Sometimes, at a speed that is difficult to keep up with, especially for smaller businesses. Marketing has vast potential to use AI. Competition is constantly growing, and marketers must keep pushing themselves to get more and more creative. This is where generative AI can be leveraged to give oneself a competitive edge.
But challenges arise when users are unfamiliar with the dangers of using such advanced technology. The best way to approach this is to educate oneself on all facets of AI use in marketing, from understanding how the technology works, to getting familiarized with the legal implications of misuse. Risks need to be taken, but risk assessment is non-negotiable.
Establishing a transparent, standardized framework for the use of AI has to be the next step in the evolving marketing world, ensuring everyone benefits from it, but not at the expense of causing any harm.
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