The host firm of the 68th annual Miss Korea competitors issued an official apology Thursday, regarding a query for the finalists about movies utilizing deepfake expertise.
Throughout this yr’s occasion in Seoul on Tuesday, 15 finalists needed to reply varied pre-prepared questions. One of many questions was, “If the picture of myself in a deepfake video seems extra engaging (than myself), how may I cut back the hole (between the picture) and my precise self?”
“It was fallacious for us because the host to make use of the phrase deepfake, when the unlawful movies utilizing deepfake expertise are inflicting extreme harm (within the society) … We should always have taken extra care with the questions, contemplating that deepfake is at the moment being misused to create unlawful sexual movies,” mentioned the International E&B, subsidiary of the Hankook Ilbo every day, providing an apology for all candidates of the occasion and anybody who felt discomfort from the query.
“The ‘deepfake video’ within the query referred to ‘recreating a real-life picture by utilizing AI expertise, and was asking in regards to the distinction between (the candidates’) precise self and the digitally-recreated model of themselves,” the corporate defined.
Different questions within the closing Q&A had included ones about social points, akin to methods to deal with the “glass ceiling” drawback stopping extremely completed girls from being promoted to high jobs, and methods to cut back intergenerational battle.
Kim Chae-won, a scholar at Yonsei College, was topped the highest place “Jin” at this yr’s occasion.
Nearly instantly after the occasion’s completion, the disputed query circulated on-line, sparking controversy over whether or not it was applicable to ask a query associated to deepfake expertise, significantly when the occasion isn’t straight associated to the problem.
Sexual extortion utilizing deepfake movies, which digitally alter pornographic movies so as to add the faces of different individuals, is been one of many greatest social points ailing South Korea as of late. The largely feminine victims of such crimes had been discovered to be acquaintances of the offender in lots of circumstances, and police information confirmed that teenagers are accountable for almost all of such crimes.
Nationwide Police Company information submitted to Rep. Cho Eun-hee of the ruling Individuals Energy Get together confirmed in August that 73.6 % of these caught making the faux movies between January and July of this yr had been teenagers.
South Korea solely lately added authorized clauses to punish deepfake crimes, revising the Act on Particular Circumstances Regarding the Punishment of Sexual Crimes in 2020 to legally outline and specify felony punishments for such crimes.