ArtistStatement

June 11-16, Auditorium, Centre for Contemporary Art Barcelona. Public Event.

Programme in collaboration with Sónar.

Keywords: deepfake, synthetic media, artificial intelligence, machine learning, truth

Deep Reckonings is a series of explicitly-marked deepfake videos that imagine morally courageous versions of our public figures. We see Mark Zuckerberg confront the disastrous consequences of his techno-utopianism. We watch Alex Jones grapple with his spread of deceitful conspiracies. An imaginary Brett Kavanaugh wrestles with the divisive way he responded to the sexual allegations against him, and a fake Donald Trump concedes his lies about the 2020 election. The project is an exercise in steel-manning where we often straw-man.

Deep Reckonings explores the ethical and epistemological implications of synethic media. It also interrogates how we might use synthetic media in ethical and even benevolent ways. The project seeks not to deceive nor demean, but to imagine and inspire. In this spirit, Deep Reckonings explores the question: how might we use our synthetic selves to elicit our better angels? Or more simply: how might we deepfake it ‘til we make it?

Deep Reckonings won two Webby Awards in 2021. The project seeks to become an ongoing series, in dialogue with the news cycle as it evolves.

More information: https://www.deepreckonings.com

• Stephanie Lepp is a producer whose work strives to hold up a mirror — inviting us to grow from what we see. Stephanie is the Executive Producer at the Center for Humane Technology — the organization at the heart of the Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma. She leads the production of the podcast Your Undivided Attention, a member of the TED Audio Collective which has garnered almost 12 million downloads. Stephanie is also an independent producer and futurist. He latest work is Deep Reckonings, a series of explicitly-marked deepfake videos that imagine morally courageous versions of our public figures. Deep Reckonings won two Webby Awards in 2021. Stephanie is a member of the Guild of Future Architects. Her work has been covered by outlets such as NPR and the MIT Technology Review, and supported by institutions including the Mozilla Foundation and the Sundance Institute. Be in touch with Stephanie on Twitter: @stephlepp