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Creator KILLS disturbing app that doctored nude images women from a single picture after backlash


After widespread backlash, a disturbing app that uses artificial intelligence to produce fake nude images of women is being taken offline. 

According to the anonymous creator of the app who goes by ‘Alberto,’ the takedown stems from the app’s potential to be abused.

‘Despite the safety measures adopted (watermarks) if 500,000 people use it, the probability that people will misuse it is too high,’ reads the tweet. 

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Shortly after news of a 'deepfaking' app capable of doctoring photos of nude women spread across the media, creators have taken the service offline

Shortly after news of a ‘deepfaking’ app capable of doctoring photos of nude women spread across the media, creators have taken the service offline

HOW DOES DEEPNUDE WORK?  

It is a downloadable offline app which works on Windows and Linux. 

It is believed the software is based on pix2pix, an open-source algorithm developed by University of California, Berkeley researchers in 2017. 

Pix2pix uses generative adversarial networks (GANs), which work by training an algorithm on a huge dataset of images.

A picture is inputted to the software and a nude version is then generated at the touch of a button.  

Creators say the app will no longer be offered for free or otherwise, and the creators said they will not release any other version, nor will they grant the app’s usage to others. 

The app, called DeepNude, removes all clothing from any uploaded image of a woman –  sparking fears it could be used to blackmail unsuspecting victims with fake revenge porn threats. 

Shortly after the app was highlighted by media — initially reported by Vice — it was taken offline. 

Creators claimed that they couldn’t handle the volume of interest and said they needed ‘to fix some bugs’ but would be back online shortly.

While a free version of the app, covered the output images with a large watermark a paid version, which costs $50,  removed the the mark, but added a stamp says ‘FAKE’ in the upper-left corner.  

Vice tested the app on dozens of photos and got the most convincing results on high resolution images from Sports Illustrated issues.

Supermodel Tyra Banks’ iconic Sports Illustrated snap is one of the images used as an example by the publication.

Others images depict fake ‘nudes’ of Kim Kardashian, singer Taylor Swift and Wonderwoman star Gal Gadot.

DeepNude's website calls itself 'an Offline automated software that transforms photos, creating fake nude'. It has been taken down since it received publicity

DeepNude’s website calls itself ‘an Offline automated software that transforms photos, creating fake nude’. It has been taken down since it received publicity 

The app is not capable of producing nude images of men and, when attempted by Vice, created a picture of a man with a vulva.

DeepNude’s website calls itself ‘an Offline automated software that transforms photos, creating fake nude’.

Vice downloaded the application and tested it on a Windows machine. It installed and launched like any other Windows application and didn’t require technical expertise to use.

The anonymous creator said that the software is based on pix2pix, an open-source algorithm developed by University of California, Berkeley researchers in 2017. 

Pix2pix uses generative adversarial networks (GANs), which work by training an algorithm on a huge dataset of images.

In the case of DeepNude, more than 10,000 nude photos of women, the programmer said—and then trying to improve against itself. 

The anonymous team said servers have apparently been overloaded because of the amount of traffic to the site

The anonymous team said servers have apparently been overloaded because of the amount of traffic to the site

This algorithm is similar to what’s used in deepfake videos, made to trick viewers into thinking someone did something they didn’t and what self-driving cars use through deep learning.

Alberto told Vice that he was inspired by X-ray spec ‘Like everyone, I was fascinated by the idea that they could really exist and this memory remained,’ 

The fake images are easy to mistake for the real thing, and could cause untold damage to individuals’ lives. 

Cropping out the ‘fake’ stamp or removing it with Photoshop would be very easy.

Motherboard tested it on images of women and men, in varying states of dress—fully clothed to string bikinis—and a variety of skin tones. 

When fed a well lit, high resolution image of a woman in a bikini facing the camera directly, the fake nude images are passably realistic. 

The algorithm accurately fills in details where clothing used to be, angles of the breasts beneath the clothing, nipples, and shadows. 

But it’s not flawless. Most images, and low-resolution images especially, produced some visual artifacts.  

As with revenge porn, these images can be used to shame, harass, intimidate, and silence women. 

There are forums where men can pay experts to create deepfakes of co-workers, friends, or family members, but tools like DeepNude make it easy to create such images in private, and at the touch of a button.



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