Computer scientists create algorithm to digitally swap faces, voices in videos

Global Business

Screenshot from video by Supasorn Suwajanakorn.

Face-swapping is a fun and popular activity on mobile apps, but the graphics and imaging lab at the University of Washington is taking it to a whole new level.

CCTV America’s Mark Niu reports from Seattle.
Follow Mark Niu on Twitter @MarkNiuWrite

University of Washington PhD student Supasorn Suwajanakorn is using a face-modeling algorithm that turns photos into a digital “persona” that can say and do things that were never actually done by the person behind the persona. That means, someday, you could have a real conversation with Grandma on your couch even though she lives miles away.

Suwajanakorn builds a 3D model of people’s face and captures details such as eye color, skin color, and even the texture of the skin.

Their voice, words, and facial expressions can even be transferred onto images and videos of other people.

For example, George W. Bush’s words can even be placed onto Barack Obama or even Tom Hanks.

The researchers are currently working on replicating a person’s precise movements.

“Later on we can try to reconstruct other aspects such as their dynamics, their behavior, or their personality, and recreate a model that’s interactive that you can talk to and then we could maybe take video footage of historical figures like Albert Einstein and then create a model of Albert Einstein that you could talk to,” Suwajanakorn said.

That would surpass the limitations of current technology, which requires a subject to be brought into a studio and covered with motion capture sensors.

University of Washington researchers said Hollywood and the video game industry have already shown great interest in their technology. But it does raise some ethical issues. Will we eventually be able to make anyone look like they said something they never did?

“It’s the same process that happened with Photoshop already. If you see some photo you might not trust it right away that it’s real. I think people might start doing that if they know someone can do this,” Suwajanakorn said/ “But in terms of measure or how do we prevent that? I’m not sure.”

One solution would be to create software that could detect the difference.

But for now, the focus here is purely on capturing the dynamics of what makes each person unique.


 

Media consultant Ari Zoldan on the next hot new gadget

CCTV America interviewed Ari Zoldan, chief executive of consulting company Quantum Media Group about the next new trend in technology, including “swallowables”.

Follow him on Twitter: @AriZoldan