My nephew convinced me that deepfakes aren't all bad

I always thought deepfake videos were nothing but trouble, tools for scams and fake news. Then my nephew showed me how he used one to recreate his late grandfather's voice for his grandma's birthday. She cried happy tears for the first time in two years. Has anyone else found a positive use for this technology that changed how you see it?

3 comments

3 Comments

drew_hart41mo ago

Heard a story real similar to that from a buddy at work. His dad passed away a few years back and he used some deepfake tool to recreate his voice for a family video. Thing is, he said it wasn't just about the voice, it was about hearing his dad tell a stupid joke that only their family would get. It hit me that this tech isn't inherently evil, it's just a tool and it depends on how you use it. Like a hammer can build a house or smash a window, you know? I'm still careful about it, but that story definitely opened my eyes a bit.

blairc901mo ago

I read a post the other day saying the same thing about deepfakes being just like any other tool.

wade2501mo ago

That hammer analogy really lands, doesn't it? It's funny how we see that same pattern everywhere now, from AI tools to social media platforms. My neighbor uses his ring camera to check on his elderly mom who lives alone, but across town people use the exact same tech to spy on their ex. The tech itself just sits there waiting for someone to decide what to do with it. Kind of makes you wonder if we've always been this way with new tools or if the speed of everything just makes the good and bad more visible now.