Deepfake video impersonates VOA press freedom reporter

At slightest 2 fake videos appearing to amusement a VOA writer delivering the quality person been circulating connected societal media this week, underscoring however experts accidental artificial quality tin beryllium utilized to people reporters and dispersed disinformation.

The fake videos picture Cristina Caicedo Smit, a writer who reports for VOA's award-winning property state desk.

While the videos, which were posted connected X, whitethorn astatine archetypal look to beryllium real, they are really deepfakes — fake videos created with artificial quality to look authentic.

Caicedo Smit said the videos are concerning.

"As a journalist, it is highly concerning that my representation and dependable are utilized to effort to misinform audiences," she said successful a statement.

"As a Press Freedom reporter, I screen however deepfakes are utilized to discredit journalism, disseminate maligned accusation and erode people's spot successful media," Caicedo Smit added.

Caicedo Smit produces play societal media videos summarizing the latest apical headlines successful property state news. The deepfakes look to person taken clips from those authentic videos to make the fake ones.

Artificial quality appears to person past been utilized to make audio that sounds similar Caicedo Smit, saying things that are mendacious and that Caicedo Smit has ne'er said.

The opening of the videos look authentic arsenic Caicedo Smit introduces herself similar she does successful her morganatic videos. But the bulk of the fake videos past incorporate code astir the U.S. government, President Donald Trump, billionaire X proprietor Elon Musk, and the U.S. Agency for International Development — each saying things that Caicedo Smit has ne'er said.

One of the videos, posted Wednesday greeting connected X by an relationship that has since been suspended, garnered astir 60,000 views.

VOA was incapable to instantly find who created the videos.

As a writer astatine VOA, Caicedo Smit said successful a connection she adheres "to the highest journalistic standards."

"That makes it adjacent much concerning that a deepfake is being utilized to effort to discredit my enactment and the values that my colleagues and I astatine VOA basal for," she said.

In effect to a petition for comment, VOA spokesperson Nigel Gibbs said, "We are alert of the deepfake videos and person contacted X, asking that they beryllium removed."

The deepfakes item a inclination successful which artificial quality is utilized to make videos successful which what look to beryllium existent journalists are reporting fake stories.

The fake videos besides often usage the media outlet's logo successful an effort to marque the videos look legitimate, which was the lawsuit with the deepfakes impersonating Caicedo Smit.

Experts pass that these kinds of deepfakes hazard spreading disinformation and fostering distrust successful the media.

Other VOA journalists person been targeted with deepfake videos, including Ksenia Turkova, who works with VOA's Russian Service.

Journalists who enactment for different media outlets, specified arsenic CNN, CBS and the BBC, besides person been the taxable of deepfake impersonations.