Do you remember the Deepfake video of Tom Cruise that circulated on the internet a few years ago? The technology was so believable and realistic that people had difficulty conceptualizing that what they saw wasn’t actually Tom Cruise. It was a fun internet experience that made people like and repost and go “wow.” It was harmless and the internet moved on to the next trending topic.
The problem is that Deepfakes can be harmful. While people use Deepfakes to superimpose Nicolas Cage’s face on Julia Andrews’ body in The Sound of Music, there are others out there using this technology for nefarious means. Another Body takes a look at how this AI program can upend someone’s life.
Directed by Sophie Compton and Reuben Hamlyn, the documentary explores a 22-year-old engineering student named Taylor. Her name isn’t really Taylor and the face we see in the documentary isn’t even hers. This isn’t something you know right away and when it’s revealed, you realize how believable AI technology is. This is a documentary about how Deepfakes can be intrusive while also using Deepfake to hide the identity of someone like Taylor.
Taylor and her classmate Julia were victims of Deepfakes. They talk in the film about how they found that their faces were superimposed onto other women’s bodies in pornography. This is a horrific thing to find out and the women in this documentary end up feeling betrayed, shocked, and a now general mistrust of those around them. What’s even more shocking is that up until the making of the documentary, what was done to them was not technically a crime.
The documentary is 80 minutes and within that time we follow Taylor in trying to narrow down who could have done this, while also seeing who else fell victim to someone’s depravity. It’s a shocking, while not surprising, look into how easy it is to do this. Deepfake pornography of celebrities has circulated the internet for years and it’s just as intrusive for those in Hollywood as it is for the everyday person. As Taylor fears, something like this can show up in Google searches, and could perhaps be the deciding factor for future employers on whether or not to hire someone. Imagine if one day you’re watching TV at home and someone tells you that your face has realistically been superimposed into pornography.
The fact that Another Body uses AI to showcase how easy AI is to manipulate is shocking. Not only is this documentary a testament to how easy it is to create a false narrative of someone online, but now it poses the question: what is real on the internet? The film is not only Taylor’s story but a warning. Not all AI is bad and there are many examples of the positives of AI, but the documentary shows why we must err on the side of caution.
The filmmakers did not make this documentary simply because AI and Deepfakes are hot-button topics right now. They made it to bring awareness to the weaponization of Deepfakes and hope for a call to action. The documentary also shows a popular YouTube streamer Gibi, who was a victim of Deepfakes. As both filmmakers and activists, the directors urge people to use the hashtag #MyImageMyChoice to spread awareness of the harms of Deepfake technology.
While this may sound more like a call to action than a movie review, Another Body elicits that sort of reaction. It is the kind of documentary that will make anyone want to do more and push for more legislation to ensure that people, specifically women; do not fall victim to intrusive and nonconsensual Deepfake pornography. If they unfortunately are, there is likely no legal action that can be taken, since 48 states still do not have any laws against this.
Another Body is out now and we highly recommend you check this out. It is well done, informative, respectful to the victims, and more than just a little bit worrying.
Another Body is currently playing in select theaters courtesy of Utopia and Willa. The film is also available on digital platforms.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cs3Wlf9BcEI]
While this may sound more like a call to action than a movie review, Another Body elicits that sort of reaction. It is the kind of documentary that will make anyone want to do more and push for more legislation to ensure that people, specifically women; do not fall victim to intrusive and nonconsensual Deepfake pornography. If they unfortunately are, there is likely no legal action that can be taken, since 48 states still do not have any laws against this.
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Rating
A girl with too many fandoms to count.
