Deepfake voices could help trans gamers

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View this email in your browser  |   Manage newsletter subscriptions By Jennifer Conrad | 09.23.21 Was this email forwarded to you? Subscribe here. Good morning! A lot of times I bring you stories about deepfakes' potential to cause chaos, but here's one bright side: synthetic "voice skins" may help gamers who are trans feel more comfortable participating in audio chats.     These Deepfake Voices Can Help Trans Gamers When Modulate's cofounders Mike Pappas and Carter Huffman created what they call "voice skins," they thought the technology could make gaming more fun by letting players take on characters' voices. The pair developed a kind of deepfake for speech that uses machine learning to adjust the audio patterns of a person's voice to make them sound like someone else. But as Tom Simonite reports, when they began recruiting early testers and pitching their product to video game studios, they found unexpected interest in using voice skins as a privacy shield. "We realized many people don't feel they can participate in online communities because their voice puts them at greater risk," Pappas, Modulate's CEO, told Simonite. Online gamers who are trans, in particular, can face harassment if their voices don't match their gender identity. Modulate's product may help them more comfortably participate in voice chats, such as those inside games like Fortnite or social apps like Discord. Read about the experiences of two early testers.     Deep(er) Learning Deepfakery produces corporate videos on the cheap and may one day make dubbed movies less jarring. But synthetic media can be dangerous when it's realistic enough to fool viewers. Deepfakes Are Becoming the Hot New Corporate Training Tool The pandemic has made it harder to shoot training videos, so some companies are creating clips using synthetic presenters instead. This AI Makes Robert De Niro Perform Lines in Flawless German When films are dubbed in another language, an actor's facial movements may clash with their lines—but deepfake tech can help smooth things over. Cheap, Easy Deepfakes Are Getting Closer to the Real Thing A researcher using open source software and less than $100 made plausible images and audio of Tom Hanks.     Need to Know   This week's conference for NASA's Innovative Advanced Concepts program includes far-out proposals for future space technologies, such as a space station that folds up, origami-style, to fit into a rocket, plus structures built from mushrooms. Music labels encourage fans to pre-save songs on streaming sites before their release. In return, fans may be handing over a trove of data to third parties, such as recently played content, saved music, top artists, and any playlists they've made and followed. Social media companies should take a cue from traditional media companies and develop a set of professional norms. Apple's latest software update for iPhones added a slew of security features. Here are the privacy settings you should change right now. Read why WIRED's reviewer called Microsoft's new foldable phone a "loveable weirdo." And everything else the company announced this week.       So, This Happened Israeli agents reportedly used a remote-controlled, AI-assisted machine gun to assassinate Iran's top nuclear scientist last year. (The New York Times) Apple may be in the early stages of developing features that can help detect signs of depression and cognitive decline. (The Wall Street Journal/paywall) Facebook introduced a change to the code for its News Feed that appears to block researchers from effectively gathering data on the platform. (The Markup) In a first, the Treasury Department imposed sanctions against a cryptocurrency exchange that it says helped funnel ransom payments to hackers. (The Washington Post) Forty-eight countries pursued new rules for tech companies on content, data, and competition over the past year—often as a means to stifle free expression or collect citizens' private information. (Freedom House)     Until Next Time   Cartoon by Ellis Rosen with @CollectCartoons.     Essential Reads What Music Labels Learn When You Pre-Save Music What Social Media Needs to Learn From Traditional Media The iOS 15 Privacy Settings You Should Change Right Now Microsoft's Surface Duo 2 Is a Lovable Weirdo GET WIRED Stare the future right in the eye. Get 1 year of unlimited access to WIRED for less than $1 per month. That includes Steven Levy's exclusive newsletter and a free tote! Subscribe now.             This e-mail was sent to you by WIRED. To ensure delivery to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders), please add our e-mail address, wired@newsletters.wired.com, to your address book.   View our Privacy Policy Unsubscribe or manage your newsletter subscriptions   Copyright © Condé Nast 2021. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.