Insanely accurate Tom Cruise deepfake goes viral on TikTok

TikTok users have been spooked by an uncanny deepfake of actor Tom Cruise that’s going viral on the app, with many mistaking him as the real-deal at first glance.

Deepfaking is something that people have been both fascinated and terrified by for some time now. The technology allows you to replace the faces of people in existing videos, using machine learning to make the final product look practically real.

The technology is becoming so advanced that people are calling for governments to put limitations on deepfaking in order to protect people, with some videos being used for illegal purposes.

In the past, TikTok stars Addison Rae and Dixie D’Amelio have responded to people making inappropriate deepfakes of them online, with celebrities and influencers being a prime target.

However, not everyone who is utlizing the deepfake technology has bad intentions, as some are using it to create funny videos online.

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TikTok user ‘deeptomcruise’ is the perfect example of this, making videos of his Tom Cruise deepfake that are now gaining traction on the app.

The videos see the mystery person almost seamlessly blended with the popular American actor, even getting his voice and mannerisms down perfectly. The fake Tom Cruise acts out several scenarios, playing golf, and talking about his podcast.

Users were astounded by the accuracy of the impression, and slightly concerned about how the deepfake aspect is almost undetectable for some. “One of the best deepfakes I’ve ever seen,” one user said, “the voice is really good too, could be artificial as well.”

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Another commenter wrote, “these deepfakes are getting worryingly good. How the heck can we trust what we see on TV.”

While the impression was thoroughly convincing, some eagle-eyed viewers pointed out ways in which you can tell it’s a deepfake. “Check the reflection of his face on the table when he gets up again, frame by frame,” one person explained, “the algorithm struggles (just a tiny bit) with the reflective bar.”

At the time of writing the account has only uploaded three videos, but many are fascinated with the bizarrely real-looking deepfake and are awaiting more Tom Cruise content.