Can you make a dyed-in-the-wool vegan eat meat become a staunch advocate for eating meat? Steak-umm did. But not for the reason you’re thinking. The idea was not to convert vegans to meat eaters. Steak-umm is known for “keeping it real”. The brand makes 100% beef sheets.
The 100% real beef company wanted to highlight the issue of faking. And the most worrying faking comes from deep fake and AI technologies that gaslight, defraud and spread confusion.
So ad agency, Tombras, set up a taste test with Steak-umm called DeepSteaks. The fake focus groups were invited to talk about their vegan lifestyle and try a new vegan cheesesteak sandwich. Behind the scenes, the production team lead by Borat 2 director, Jason Woliner, created deepfakes for each participant in real time (in just twenty minutes with a few off-the-shelf tools). The deepfakes professed their love for meat, shocking and confusing the real vegans.
The campaign poses the question, If a deepfake can make a vegan say they love meat, imagine what they could get you to say? The goal of the campaign is to educate the public about the potential risks and harmful effects of deepfakes – and that anyone can fall victim to this dangerous technology, not just politicians and celebrities.
The video ends by inviting viewers to visit DeepSteaks.ai to sign a petition for the DEEP FAKES Accountability Act, and learn how to spot, report, and safely engage with deepfake technology.
This was not Steak-umm’s first fight against misinformation. In fact, the brand has built a cult-like following for its endeavours. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Steak-umm was hailed as a “misinformation watchdog,” tweeting to followers to question news sources and ensure they are getting accurate information. Last year, it launched the Meataversity of Steak-umm ahead of the midterm elections, with the goal of bringing its fight against misinformation and to the newest corner of the web, the metaverse.
The brand has been following deepfakes for years, and currently there are measures being considered by both the FEC and Congress that seek to protect individuals nationwide from being misrepresented by deepfake technology. In the past month, Tom Hanks, MrBeast, and Gayle King have all come out with announcements that ads using their likeness were not real endorsements – they were deepfakes.
“Every American needs to be aware of the dangers of deepfake technology,” stated Tombras president, Dooley Tombras. “This is a problem that goes beyond celebrities and world leaders, and Steak-umm, the most unexpected champion of media literacy, has demonstrated that in this shocking film. Our goal is to not only educate the public but show just how fast a deepfake can be created and spread.”
