For my thesis, I’m examining people’s reactions to these creative, non-malicious deepfakes on social media. In particular, I’m interested in learning the sensemaking strategies people use to understand these videos and deepfake tech in general, as well as discovering design implications in light of these strategies.
Deepfakes are a form of synthetic media in which various AI methods are used to create videos that depict people doing and saying things they did not say or do. Advances in computer vision have made it easier for developers and companies to create apps that give ordinary people the ability to create their own.
During his time, Frederick Douglass was the most photographed person in the United States. Concerned his image might be used in negative ways, he was often very strict about the way he presented himself: never smiling, staring directly into the camera.
Now, over 120 years later, his image lives on as a deepfake, created with the DeepNostalgia app developed by MyHeritage.
Project & Role
HCI Research
Master’s Thesis
Methodology
Case Study
Social Media Analysis
Thematic Analysis
Audience / Media Studies
Sensemaking
Tools
Jupyter Notebook
Python
NVivo
Miro
Timeline
August 2021 - April 2022
This research is currently in progress. Please take a look at an initial presentation I did early Fall 2021, and check back soon for study results!
(click the image to view the presentation)