Deepfake Tom Cruise creator launches production house creating hyperreal content

The creators of the viral @DeepTomCruise account on TikTok have launched a production platform for creating hyperreal content using deep learning and artificial intelligence.

Co-founded by Chris Ume, synthetic media and AI artist, Metaphysic enables brands and creatives to produce photorealistic and scalable synthetic video content.

Software being developed by Metaphysic allows creators to process datasets, mix and remix proprietary and open-source AI models and integrate traditional production workflows. The result is a decentralised production process that can generate hyperrealistic content without extra time and cost.

In addition to creating @DeepTomCruise, the Metaphysic team also used its technology and learning models to create Procter & Gamble's Gillette throwback ad "Deion’s draft night" by Grey, United States. To celebrate the 2021 NFL Draft, Gillette worked with Metaphysic to create a synthetic version of the young Deion Sanders as he looked on draft day back in 1989. 

Ume said: "There's a huge appetite for new forms of expression in video powered by AI, and this is pushing the boundaries of technology and art in fascinating ways. At Metaphysic, we want to further decentralise the production of video content. We're building AI tools to give brands, influencers and creators limitless possibilities for video creativity and entertainment."

Metaphysic's @DeepTomCruise demonstrated that hyperreal content can now be indistinguishable from live shots, so that brands, creatives, and production companies increasingly see the benefits of using synthetic media in premium content production.

Tom Graham, co-founder and chief executive of Metaphysic, said: "Over the course of the pandemic, demand for synthetic media skyrocketed because in-person production was off-limits. We saw the need for streamlined tools to power a future where AI will help even non-professional creators make amazing photorealistic content in an ethical and scalable way."

Metaphysic said it was committed to the ethical use of its technology, including prohibiting the creation of content where it knows that it is designed to mislead or deceive.

Graham added: "We recognise this is a nascent technology and its development can have unintended consequences that must be taken seriously. At the core of our product development process, we are confronting issues of ethics and safety both internally and for the industry at large.

"By taking an ethics-first approach to developing the technology we will enable a wider franchise of creators to tell important stories using hyperrealistic, synthetic media that does not cause harm to individuals or society."