Channel 4 has defended creating a deepfake sex tape for a documentary on the controversial technology after victim-survivors slammed it as “disrespectful”.
The broadcaster’s new documentary, Vicky Pattison: My Deepfake Sex Tape, saw the reality star presenter have an AI-generated, explicit film created of herself.
It was aired despite survivors of online image abuse “strongly advising” against it when producers approached them to consult on the documentary, according to reports.
One survivor, Jodie, who didn’t give her last name, said she discovered thousands of deepfaked sexual images on an Incel forum four years ago after she received an anonymous email with a link to the website.
“These women have suffered enormous trauma. For Channel 4 to curate this experience trivialises the issue and it feels wrong,” she said.
“There was consent throughout the process, which is something real victims do not get. They do not choose what the images look like, or where they are uploaded.
“There is also a risk it could inspire people to use this sort of technology. The public do not need to know how to make a deepfake.”
Jodie said she realised a close friend was her abuser when she noticed one image, among hundreds taken from Instagram, was one she had only sent to him.
Deepfake pornography is created by using AI to superimpose a person’s face onto a nude body, often grafted on to existing sexual imagery.
Channel 4 said the documentary aimed to “demonstrate how simple it is to create explicit deepfake content and raise awareness of how accessible this content is and how it can proliferate online.”
A Channel 4 spokesperson told The Independent: “We understand that there have been varying views on this approach.
“In this documentary, Vicky aims to demonstrate how simple it is to create explicit deepfake content and raise awareness of how accessible this content is and how it can proliferate online.
“She also wanted to experience, as closely as possible, the feelings, vulnerabilities and concerns that arise when one becomes a victim of deepfake porn.
“The documentary recreates this, in a controlled environment, to exemplify the ease with which this kind of content can spread online and to raise awareness by demonstrating actions people can take should they find themselves a victim of this crime.
“The choice to make original footage ensures that everyone involved was able to fully consent from the outset.”
