A startling fake dialogue between Justin Trudeau and American podcast host Joe Rogan, built from the ground up by artificial intelligence, demonstrates the chilling potential of such technology for disinformation in the digital age.
“Hello Prime Minister, I am pleased to finally be able to meet you. I’m glad you’re on my podcast.”
“Hey Joe, I’m very happy with you here about the Joe Rogan experience.”
Even to the most discerning ears, the conversation between the two men seems fluid and genuine, each with their own quirks and linguistic quirks.
The problem is not only that Messrs. Trudeau and Rogan never discussed each other, but that the phrases themselves were never uttered: they are purely synthetic, recited from a written text.
The discussion quickly branches to Justin Trudeau’s “blackfaces,” trucker protests, and other platitudes associated with Canada’s prime minister. The content becomes absurd overall, but the form is impeccable.
Posted by a tiny channel on YouTube, the video garnered nearly 150,000 views in less than five days.
The Joe Rogan Experience has been the world’s most listened-to podcast for years, reaching millions of listeners every week. His host has sparked controversy a number of times during the COVID-19 pandemic for entertaining guests who were skeptical about vaccines and public health measures. Spotify, the platform that hosts it, has been forced to slap disclaimers on all episodes that discuss the topic.
The dialogue is shaped by a tool developed by ElevenLabs, an American artificial intelligence startup capable of “making human speech ultra-realistic”.
“Our tools are already capable of generating speech that is as realistic as a human’s, and we believe that the use of artificial voices will continue to expand,” announces ElevenLabs on its website.
The company foresees several future uses of its technologies, whether it be creating audio books, reading news articles, advertising, or even video games.
ElevenLabs also promises to “implement safeguards to counter potential misuse of our technology.”
“We only work with clients who adhere to our Terms of Service, which prohibit any malicious use of our technology for purposes that may be considered illegal or harmful,” it said.
Another fake video featuring Justin Trudeau was circulating in early September. In it he reads a fake anti-sanitary measures book entitled How the Prime Minister Stole Freedom. Although the video is poorly done visually, the quality and flow of his voice is remarkable.