Deepfakes in trouble

2026-03-06 - 01:47

By Prince Osuagwu Artificial Intelligence, AI has enhanced the practice of many careers. From technology to medicine, agriculture to banking, application of AI is creating wonders. However, AI has a shady cousin called deepfakes. While AI is out there revolutionizing industries, deepfakes are busy ruining reputations; creating drama which has caused many prominent personalities heartaches Deepfakes are images, videos, or audios that have been edited or generated using AI-based tools or audio-video editing software Deepfakes are highly convincing, they depict realistic but fake events, and often replacing one person’s likeness with another’s using deep learning techniques. Do you know deepfakes can use your real image and voice to create and deliver contents you never generated or have anything to do with? Every country has taken its turn in the blackmail that comes with this mischievous tech. Not even the President of the United States of America is spared in the blackmail of this utterly mischievous tech. Recall that just recently there were viral videos of some notable Nigerian businessmen and women endorsing some suspicious business schemes. Before everybody could wake up from the reality of how such people could be associated with such schemes, there were flurry of rebuttals. It was actually deepfakes. And, it’s not just about individuals alone, governments are stressing about deepfakes too. Imagine a world where politicians are making fake speeches, and no one knows what’s real or not. But, there is expiry date for every mischief maker. For deepfakers, who use AI to create imageries and representations without due consideration of the data privacy implications, it may no longer be business as usual While people are now working on solutions to detect deepfakes, global data protection agencies are taking it a notch higher. They have gathered over 60 global Data Protection Agencies, including that of Nigeria’s Data Protection Council, NDPC to ensure that further violation of people’s rights through AI image creations is severely punished. Recently, the International Enforcement Cooperation Working Group (IEWG) of the Global Privacy Assembly issued a Joint Statement on Al-Generated Imagery and the Protection of Privacy. The Joint Statement highlights concerns over the misuse of Al-powered tools to create non-consensual imagery, defamatory content, and other harmful materials, particularly affecting children and vulnerable groups. It calls on organisations to implement strong safeguards, ensure transparency, provide effective content removal mechanisms, and comply fully with applicable data protection laws. Almost immediately the joint statement was made known, the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) also announced that it had joined 60 other Data Protection Authorities (DPAs) in endorsing the statement. According to the National Commissioner/CEO of the NDPC, Dr Vincent Olatunji, the joint statement underscores the growing concerns regarding the privacy risks posed by Artificial Intelligence tools capable of generating realistic images and videos of identifiable individuals. He said the current effort by the Commission, forms part of a continuum of steps being taken by Nigeria to ensure the responsible use of Al.