Tech

Deepfake influencers are among us already. Can you spot them?

Published

3 months ago

March 28, 2024

Deepfake influencers coming to India - The Reelstars

Make way for the deepfake influencers. For the last one year, Artificial Intelligence has been making alarming inroads into the creative landscape of social media in India. More specifically, it has enabled a host of anonymous folks to create Instagram handles that steal content from popular creators and swapping their faces with an AI generated face.

A detailed report by Decode, part of the Boomlive team, has unveiled just how this is being done. Taking the example of ‘Ira Sharma’, an Instagram handle with 2,60,000 followers, the report deconstructs exactly how anonymous handles are able to get away with the deepfake forgeries using face swap technology.

The idea behind it is simple – such deepfake influencers make money for the people behind these ventures through paid brand promotions on platforms like Instagram and YouTube. These deepfake influencers, says the report, are a small but growing subset of Artificial Intelligence (AI) or virtual influencers that have been around since the last few years. In these handles, the entire content is lifted from authentic creators’ pages and repackaged with a new face, which isn’t a real face but an AI entity.

Decode traced at least three videos, which the account plagiarised and morphed with a generative-AI face, that could be traced back to other women and teenage content creators on Instagram. It also quoted Pushti Shah, a Vadodara based creator with 24,200 followers, one of the creators whose videos were morphed.

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A post shared by Pushti Shah (@pushtishahh)

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A post shared by Ira Sharma (@me_ira.sharma)

Decode also got Professor Mayank Vatsa at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Jodhpur to analyse the videos, and the analysis determined that all the samples were manipulated or edited and that there were several inconsistencies in each of them.

AI influencers versus deepfake influencers

The field of influencer marketing has been disrupted in a major way since last year with the arrival of Kyra, India’s first virtual influencer. Kyra is already working with brands like Indyverse, BoAt and others and was voted AI Creator of the Year at the NDTV awards last year. Naina, on the other hand, is a brand ambassador for Fikaa, an AI-powered investment app for women. She recently launched her own podcast, ‘The nAIna Show’ that airs on YouTube and features in-depth and insightful interviews with some of the most celebrated personalities in the entertainment industry including Sobhita Dhulipala, Sanya Malhotra, Richa Chadha, Saiyami Kher, Esha Deol, Hansika Motwani, to name a few. Fashion retailer brand Myntra has also launched Maya, calling her Myntra’s first virtual trendsetter, who models Myntra products on its social handles.

Deepfakes need to be tackled

The difference, as the Decode report points out, is that the AI influencers clearly disclose their synthetic/virtual nature, and their content is not plagiarised from someone else’s work. Platforms like Instagram need to implement tech solutions that prevent misuse of content. It is however not so easy. Decode has unearthed YouTube tutorials in Hindi on how to create your own AI influencer to earn money off Instagram through brand promotions. Free online image generators and AI model hosting sites are easily available online for anyone to indulge in deepfake influencing. The report says that it isn’t just social media enthusiasts but some social media marketing agencies too who are indulging in such generative AI plagiarism. Decode also found nine other linked Instagram accounts using variations of the username Ira Sharma and posting the same deepfake content. The main handle me_ira.sharma was also tagging some of the fake accounts in its Instagram Stories. A tenth account, created in January 2021, and using a different fake alias – Ishita Choudhary, was also posting the same videos, the Decode report says.

Interestingly, Ira Sharma already has 260k followers, in spite of not being a real person, and ranks much ahead of Pushti Shah, who has 24.2k followers. Fans of the deepfake influencer are apparently unaware of Ira’s digital origins and each of her videos rakes in anywhere between 50k and 200k likes and an average of 500 comments. Ironically, her bio says she is ‘a normal girl’ but also that she is ‘not real (alien). Anyway, do her fans care?

Tech

Best AI Tools for Content Creators in 2024

Published

5 hours ago

July 4, 2024

Muskaan Valecha

Best AI Tools for Content Creators in 2024 - The Reelstars

Are you a content creator? If yes, here are some AI tools to make your content creation game easy peasy. These tools will bring a revolutionary change in your content. From cloning your voice to generating images to writing scripts for your video to paraphrasing your video to creating video in multiple languages. Whether you are a beginner or a professional, we’ve got you covered with these simple AI tools.

PlayHT

Convert any text into your voice. Upload a sample of your voice without any background disturbances and provide a script for that cloned voice, and the AI will do it all for you. Get a 2,500 word script as your cloned voice recording for free.

Steps to use this AI:

Sign up with your Google account.
Click on voice cloning.
Click on ‘+’ symbol to create a new clone and click instant.
Give a name to a 30-second voice recording, and select male/female.
Upload a 30-second sample recording of your voice without any background noise.
Click on Create.
Paste the content you want in your cloned voice and click generate.
Now, your voice will be ready and cloned as you want.
You can hear each line by clicking click on it.
If you want to regenerate, click regenerate to get another cloned recording.
To download it, click Export and select Download single audio file.
You can get a voiceover, you can generate 2,500 words, and if you like it, you can go for a paid subscription plan.

HeyGen

Translate your voice into any language you want. Simply upload a video and you want to convert into a language you desire. within 5 minutes your lip-sync video will be ready. to download that video you will have to purchase a paid subscription plan.

Steps to use this AI:

Upload a video in your gallery that you wish to translate.
Select the language in which you want to translate that video.
Click ‘Translate this video.’
Within 5 minutes, your video will be translated.
This video will lip-sync perfectly to the language selected.
To download it, you need to get their paid subscription plan.
If you want it for free, you can do it for a maximum of 30 seconds video.

Gravity Write

Gravity Write is for unique and high-quality content, be it video scripts, blogs, or social media taglines. It’s there to rescue you. Unlike Chat GPT, which needs a perfect prompt, Gravity Write is a breeze as it provides content accurately with just a simple prompt. If you want to create a social media post, describe it; it’ll provide you with written content.

Steps to use this AI:

Go to their website and click on start writing for free.
Create your account.
They have covered all the social media content providers for which you can generate content ideas.
For instance, select Title and Thumbnail ideas for YouTube, type in your idea, and you will get content ideas, giving you the perfect options.

Adobe Firefly

Adobe Firefly beautified image creation. It’s not just about generating new images, you can also retouch existing ones. Generate something new and different from the various styles provided in this AI tool.

Steps to use this AI:

Select ‘Text to Image.’
Describe the image and click on generate.
It’ll generate 4 unique images based on your prompt.
You change the size with aspect ratio option; change the content type like graphic image, artistic image or a photo image; style and popular can also be customised, explore this AI tool to design for image generation.
Now, you can download the image.

VidRapid

Vidrapid is a must-have Chrome extension that can paraphrase any YouTube video. You can get the gist of the entire video. In just one paragraph get the whole video’s description without watching it. VidRapid is used to summarize a long format video.

Steps to use this AI:

Go to the website, click on add to Chrome, and click on add an extension.
Go to YouTube, and you’ll see the option to Sign in to Summarize at the top right corner.
Just sign in.
Click generate and you’ll see ‘Summerize Video.’ Click on it, and you’ll get the YouTube video’s whole content summarized in one paragraph with the time codes mentioned below for each topic discussed in the video.
You can click on the time codes to jump into the topic you wish to watch on YouTube.

Try out these new age AI tools to level up your content game!

Tech

Kaztro – The Kerala Gamer Snapped Up by S8UL

Published

2 days ago

July 2, 2024

Muskaan Valecha

Kaztro: Kerala Gamer Inspiring the Upcoming Gaming Influencers - The Reelstars

Muhammed Ramees MP, popularly known as @ig.kaztrogaming, has joined S8UL, the leading esports organization in India. Kaztro, who hails from Kerala, uploads gaming videos and livestreams related to BGMI and PC gaming.

On YouTube, Kaztro has 1.43 million subscribers and engaging content filled with 1.5K videos; his content is based on BGMI, GTA Roleplay and PC Gaming. Kaztro’s second channel – Kaztro Vlogs presents multifaced content to his 859K subscribers who wait for a glimpse of Kaztro’s life. Kaztro’s reach into the gaming world has brought him into a tremendous presence at gaming events and a prominent position as an influencer in the esports world.

Kaztro is an example of a “nothing-to-star gamer” in the gaming industry. Multitasking in academics, ethical hacking, and creating a career in the era of influencers. However, he began his gaming journey on YouTube on March 19, 2020. Furthermore, when his channel changed from a tech channel to a gaming channel. He started his gaming setup in a hostel and has had a significant shift in his career.

Extending the “Nothing to Star Gamer” Narrative:

Video Series: “From Hostel Setup to Esports Stardom: My Gaming Journey” – A multi-part series detailing Kaztro’s initial challenges, setting up a gaming space in a hostel, and his rise to influencer status.
Livestream Q&A: “Balancing Act: Academics, Ethical Hacking, and Gaming” – Host a live session where Kaztro talks about managing his various pursuits and offers advice to aspiring gamers juggling multiple passions.

Highlighting Kaztro’s BGMI and PC Gaming Expertise:

Advanced BGMI Tutorials: Create in-depth guides on specific BGMI topics like weapon mastery, strategic map breakdowns, or character optimization for different playstyles.
PC Game Showcases: Feature new and trending PC games with Kaztro’s first impressions, gameplay walkthroughs, and tips for beginners.

Expanding Kaztro’s Vlogs Channel:

Esports Event Vlogs: Document Kaztro’s experiences at gaming events, offering behind-the-scenes glimpses and interviews with other players and personalities.
“A Day in the Life” Vlog: Take viewers through a typical day in Kaztro’s life. Moreover, showcasing his routine, content creation process. However, he maintains a balance between gaming and other commitments.

Here is a gaming video by Kaztro:

Tech

Women Tech Influencers Are Reshaping the Narrative in India

Published

3 days ago

July 1, 2024

Muskaan Valecha

Top Women Tech Influencers Shaping the Future Of Innovation - The Reelstars

Women tech influencers in India are are a nascent but growing breed. They command a loyal following for their deft unboxing, insightful reviews and engaging videos. Here are some women tech influencers who we think you should follow!

Tech trends by tech-savvy women

Kiran Nagar @techykiran

Instagram Followers: 60.9K

Youtube Followers: 778K

Kiran Nagar is from Kota, Rajasthan. She completed her B.Tech in Electrical Engineering and was placed in a company in Ludhiana. After switching jobs, she is now based in Delhi, creating compelling content.

Techy Kiran, hailing from Kota, Rajasthan, is your go-to for the latest mobile phones, laptops, cameras, and more trends. Her mission is to share her tech knowledge with her Indian audience. And she achieves this by creating content in Hindi. Her unboxing, reviews, and phone comparisons are what have her fans hooked to her content.

Here is her tech update:

Nitasha Singh @thenutrigurl

Instagram Followers: 65.6K

Youtube Followers: 1.5M

Nitasha Singh creates diverse content, from mobile unboxing to comparison reviews of television sets. Her video quality is top-notch, with minimalistic, smooth transition edits. Her videos are shot in Hindi, and the YouTube thumbnail pictures are outdoor shoots. However, Her videos on YouTube get a viewership between 30K and 60K on average. Her most viewed video was for the Samsung S22+ which received 85K views.

Here is her most viewed video:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Nitasha Singh (@thenutrigurl)

Pratima Adhikari @gadgetbyte

Instagram Followers: 99.9K

YouTube Followers: 682K

Pratima Adhikari is a reviewer and co-founder of Gadget Byte on YouTube, with an average viewership of 100K to 200K. She creates content in English. Her Windows shortcuts reel on Instagram fetched her an eye-watering 855K plays. As per her handle, Gadget Byte is a tech review news portal providing information, tools, and advice to help you gain efficient knowledge about technology. So far, she has posted 974 videos, and her YouTube channel’s average viewership is 88,458,422.

Here is her latest update: