Rise of deepfakes in entertainment ignites both excitement, concerns

Actor Son Suk-ku, above, and his younger self, below, created by using deepfake technology are seen in Netflix series "A Killer Paradox." Courtesy of Netflix

Hollywood is turning back the clock with de-aging, allowing legendary actors to transcend time. Robert De Niro and Al Pacino were reborn in "The Irishman," Harrison Ford defied his age in "Indiana Jones 5" and Mark Hamill's youthful voice echoed anew in "The Mandalorian" as hyperrealistic digital twins of their younger selves.

While deepfake technology is often associated with controversy in Korea, particularly with regard to pornographic content or sex crimes, its applications in entertainment are expanding rapidly. De-aging is, in essence, a form of deepfake technology, using artificial intelligence (AI)-driven deep learning to generate hyperrealistic synthetic video or audio.

Just like Hollywood, Korean entertainment is witnessing the expanding use of deepfake technology.

In Netflix’s "A Killer Paradox" (2024), the young version of detective Jang Nan-gam (Son Suk-ku) was not played by a lookalike child actor. Instead, the production team used AI to merge Son’s childhood photos onto the face of actor Kang Ji-seok, making him appear as a younger version of the lead with Kang's actual face nowhere to be found.

JTBC’s "Welcome to Samdal-ri" stunned viewers by featuring the late Song Hae, the beloved host of Korea's iconinc Sunday music show "National Singing Contest," through deepfake technology. In tvN's variety show "Chairman's People," featuring the cast of the 1980s hit drama "Country Diaries," the late actor Park Yoon-bae was brought back to life using deepfake technology to "interact" with his former castmates.

In the 2022 Disney+ drama "Casino," Cha Moo-sik's (Choi Min-sik) appearance in his 30s was created using de-aging technology to make the actor look younger than his actual age.

Late music show host Song Hae, brought back from the dead through deepfake technology, appears in a scene from the JTBC drama "Welcome to Samdal-ri." Courtesy of JTBC

Experts say this widespread use of deepfake technology presents both excitement and concerns.

"On set, we're using this (deepfake) technology a lot more than we used to. In scenes where this kind of technology is needed, it's not a big problem to use deepfake technology, so I think it's fair to say that we're using it now. For example, if there's a past scene with an older actor, it's easy to use deepfake technology to make them look younger or remove wrinkles. So, these kinds of techniques have become routine," culture critic Jung Duk-hyun said.

From a cost perspective, there's definitely an appeal in being able to save money.

"A prime example is the widespread use of de-aging technology in historical dramas. It significantly reduces the awkwardness of older actors wearing young-age makeup and it eliminates the need to hire child actors to portray their younger selves. Disney+'s 'Casino' used de-aging technology and it turned out quite well," Jung said. "In 'Welcome to Samdal-ri,' they used it to recreate the appearance of a deceased person, which is another example of how easily this technology can be utilized."

The Korean entertainment industry is highly utilizing generative AI to enhance productivity and efficiency in various fields, from production to editing, and deepfake technology is one of the uses.

According to the 2024 Broadcasting and Video Industry White Paper published by the Korea Creative Content Agency, the proportion of businesses that adopted generative AI in the broadcasting and video sector in Korea in 2023 was only 4 out of 112 surveyed companies (3.6 percent) in the first half of the year, but jumped 18 out of 100 (16.4 percent) in the second half.

Late actor Park Yoon-bae was brought back to life using deepfake technology in tvN's entertainment program "Chairman's People," featuring the cast of the 1980s drama "Country Diaries." Courtesy of tvN

Threatening acting jobs

Culture critic Kim Hern-sik said that deepfake technology is worth it for low-budget independent film directors and aspiring directors due to its cost-saving effects.

However, he pointed out that using deepfakes to replace child actors, as in "A Killer Paradox," eliminates opportunities for new actors.

"Job issues are a direct hit to future generations and from a fan's perspective, it's depriving them of the opportunity to see new faces. In the long term, there's a side effect of not expanding the scope of content," he said.

Kim believes that more people gradually realize that deepfakes can be used efficiently to replicate past patterns, but they have limitations in creating new creative content and indiscriminate use could lead to negative consequences.

"Currently, artificial intelligence is a new technology, so many people use it, but videos, sounds and images created by AI have certain patterns that are easily recognizable. While many people with undiscerning eyes may think movies and dramas are all the same, they are actually different. I think it is questionable whether AI can cover these differences," he said, predicting potential negative aspects over the new technology.

Ethical concerns

While deepfake technology is welcomed for its innovations and cost-saving, it has also sparked ethical concerns.

A recent controversy surrounding nude scenes in the drama "The Queen Who Crowns" has intensified debates over misuse of AI in the entertainment sector.

The issue erupted when it came to light that actors Cha Joo-young and Lee E-dam, who are cautious about their on-screen nudity and public image, were not fully informed about the nudity in certain scenes during the script reading phase. Although they filmed the scenes clothed, they later discovered that their faces had been digitally placed onto nude body doubles for the explicit OTT version.

This raised questions about consent and transparency, echoing concerns in Hollywood, where actors are pushing back against AI-generated likenesses being used without permission.

Culture critic Kim cited the controversy as an example of the potential for misuse of AI.

"It became controversial because they used it to create explicit content, not creative content. The industry is wary of getting caught up in controversy by using deepfakes unnecessarily. It seems like we're still in a transitional period," he said. "In Hollywood, established actors are vocally protesting the unauthorized use of their faces and likenesses. In contrast, Korea still lacks adequate related laws and guidelines."

Jung also agrees that there are potential risks.

"As seen in the controversy surrounding 'The Queen Who Crowns,' if it's not explained sufficiently and agreed upon in advance, there are side effects such as misuse of deepfakes and it can even be used for criminal purposes," he said.

"There's no problem in using deepfake technology as long as there's sufficient prior consent. However, the problem arises because deepfake technology is now being used very negatively in general (in Korea). The cases of children using deepfake technology to take their friends' faces and create almost adult-like scenes and distribute them is a social issue in Korea."

Experts are calling for tighter regulations on deepfake technology, stressing the necessity as AI becomes increasingly integral to various industries as well as daily life.

"Since 2022, investments in AI-related technologies have surged, making the combination of content and technology inevitable," Noh Chang-hee, head of the Institute of Digital Industry & Policy, said. "We need to focus on how to generate positive effects and create synergy."