(Editor’s note: Welcome to Bold’s series on AI-created deepfakes. The previous installment listed the top sights and apps; read it here. This installment dives into its use for marketing.)
Artificial technology, especially deepfake AI, is the current driving force of many businesses and marketing professionals. Whether for brand building or content creation, AI and other AI-powered tools are a marketer’s must-have for success. There’s no denying the perks that come with deepfake technology in digital marketing, but like a coin, this AI technology presents more than advantages.
Deepfake AI technology are automating extreme changes and setting the tone for the new generation of marketing. Due to its capabilities of developing media file quality and promoting creative freedom, brands continuously push it to new limits. Despite that, the disadvantages and dangers it presents to the user–and the public–make deepfake a double-edged sword for any willing marketer.
The Pros of Deepfake AI
The start of the 2020s came with several changes in numerous industries, especially in commerce and digital marketing. Since its introduction to the internet in 2017, deepfake is becoming an essential tool for better brand building, more creative freedom, and affordable marketing campaigns. Due to that, deepfake AI continues to cement its place as a staple technology for businesses and professionals.
In addition, recent studies show how users and creators use deepfake files to raise awareness of sensitive societal issues in an entertaining and eye-catching way. Deepfake technology also provides the tools for businesses to make their brands more relevant and relatable.
One of the notable benefits of deepfake technology is revolutionizing the entertainment and business industries’ ability to improve the execution of their creative ideas. Due to this, videos and audio that use deepfake AI have better entertainment value. Video and sound editing becomes more convenient as deepfake files blend seamlessly into recorded scenes, making clips look more natural instead of CGI-heavy. Marketing departments also find it easier to advertise the film due to the files’ quality.
Deepfake also leads to an upsurge in hyper-personalization. Brands become more relatable and humanized due to deepfake marketing campaigns. Deepfake AI allows free manipulation of clips and images businesses and marketers need to send their customers more relevant content and experiences.
“This technology is increasingly applied in digital marketing, enabling the company to reduce its costs, design promotional campaigns more easily, personalize its offer, enable unique experiences for its consumers, but also raise the awareness of the target market about certain sensitive issues of social importance.” – Radoslav Baltezarevic, Vice-Dean for Graduate Studies and Scientific Research, Professor in Marketing, Communication & Management, Megatrend University
The Cons of Deepfake AI
Deepfake AI technology has become the best tool for marketers and content creators to build their brands, promote them, and appeal to customers by creating hyper-realistic, personalized, and relatable content and campaigns. Despite that, the increasing volume of recognized deepfake files in the media and on the internet is also the technology’s most notable disadvantage.
The lack of trust is one of the worst impacts of deepfake technology in marketing. Deepfake revolves around manipulation and faking media files to benefit its creator. Although using deepfake AI-driven tools helps generate mass followings and brand building, including making products more appealing in commercials, it doesn’t offer the same results for customer loyalty.
Instead of persuading customers to consider the product or brand, deepfake videos in a marketing campaign leans more toward manipulating their feelings. Due to this, deepfake could run into ethical issues. But if used properly, the technology can elevate the brand’s content and narrative to the public.
In addition, deepfake AI also helps increase online scams, which could potentially destroy a company due to false accusations and complaints or cover up company malpractice using manipulated sounds and videos. Some deepfake creation approaches can take original recordings of actual incidents and alter them into something misleading.
“Deepfake detection techniques will never be perfect. As a result, in the deepfakes arms race, even the best detection methods will often lag behind the most advanced creation methods.” – John Villasenor, Professor of Electrical Engineering, Law, Public Policy, and Management Faculty Co-Director, UCLA Institute for Technology, Law and Policy
Digital Marketing and Deepfake Dangers
Digital marketing greatly benefits from deepfake technology, but the more companies and creators use them, the more they risk themselves. Deepfake AI is a revolutionary tool that changed the course of advertising and entertainment, but it’s also becoming one of the most dangerous AI on the web.
Deepfake files can spread fake information and propaganda, manipulate socio-political views and understanding, and permanently damage one’s reputation. Companies and individuals can even use them to twist the version of events to cover up illicit practices and operations.
The biggest danger of deepfakes in businesses and the economy is their ability to manipulate the market. Any deepfake file created under the guise of spreading misleading and false information has massive effects on stock price changes and decisions.
In addition, recognized deepfake videos and sounds can lead to negative publicity, mistrust, and credibility loss. This puts companies and business owners in a more vulnerable position.
The public’s inability to distinguish a well-crafted deepfake file makes it more dangerous. In recent marketing studies, over 70% of the global population knows nothing about deepfake, while 43% couldn’t identify the difference between deepfake files from the original ones.