Queen Elizabeth II deepfake Christmas message

A deepfake version of the late Queen Elizabeth II's traditional Christmas message aired by UK television broadcaster Channel 4 came under fire from commentators and viewers who questioned its appropriateness and ethics.

The Queen 'revealed' her thoughts about Princes Harry and Andrew, poked fun at then Prime Minister Boris Johnson, joked about the lack of toilet paper facing people during the COVID-19 pandemic, and danced for a TikTok video. She ended by advising people to be wary of what they view online and on television.

Channel 4 had said in advance that the broadcast would provide a 'stark warning' about the dangers of misinformation and disinformation in the age of AI. But this failed to convince many viewers, who complained that it was 'disrespectful, 'distasteful', and 'creepy'.

System

• Channel 4 (2020). Deepfake Queen 2020 Alternative Christmas Message

News, commentary, analysis

• https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-55424730

• https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-55799653

• https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/dec/24/channel-4-under-fire-for-deepfake-queen-christmas-message

• https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/12/23/deepfake-queens-speech-channel-4-criticised-disrespectful-christmas/

• https://inews.co.uk/news/technology/deepfake-what-meaning-technology-queen-alternative-christmas-speech-message-channel-4-explained-807612

• https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/13563380/queen-filmed-dancing-table-christmas-message/

• https://mashable.com/video/queen-2020-christmas-deepfake

• https://7news.com.au/entertainment/viral-weird/deepfake-video-of-queens-christmas-address-sparks-outrage-amongst-uk-viewers-c-1833536

• https://www.standard.co.uk/tech/channel-4-alternative-christmas-message-queen-speech-b465083.html