New act: Deepfake

I am always looking for ways to integrate digital innovations into my show in an entertaining way to reach people emotionally at corporate events. One of the most fascinating developments for me in recent years is deepfake technology. It makes it possible to create realistic-looking video sequences from an image that look amazingly real. And this is exactly what I use in my shows to surprise my audience, make them laugh and, above all, make them think.

One photo is all it takes for an employee to become the virtual protagonist

All I need for my deepfake number is a photo, for example of a manager from your company or a well-known person from your team. You can simply send me this picture in advance by e-mail. With the help of artificial intelligence, it then becomes an animated, talking “alter ego” that appears live in my show on the iPad. The results are always amazing.

Why the topic is relevant for people in senior positions

There are creative and even useful applications for deepfakes. In the film industry, actors are rejuvenated and in education, historical figures can be brought back to life. At the same time, the technology harbors enormous risks. False political reports, identity theft or intimate images without consent have long been a reality. There is a fine line between fascination and danger and it is precisely this ambivalence that I exploit in my show. Using my iPad, I simulate a video call in which the chosen person suddenly appears real. In a virtual transformation into an opera singer, she sings so loudly that a glass on my table shatters into a thousand pieces without anyone touching it. That’s an exaggeration, of course, but that’s exactly where the power of my kind of entertainment lies. I make visible what is possible, exaggerate it and make it clear that this conversation never actually took place. It’s a fiction and that’s exactly what should make you think. Deepfakes are not magic, but the work of human invention. Whether we want to allow our identities to be manipulated so easily is a question we still have to answer. There are rules and laws in the making, and we can still set limits.

Why I bring deepfakes to the stage

As a digital magician, it is only logical that I not only observe new developments such as deepfakes, but also actively integrate them into my show. I see this as a great opportunity to generate momentum. If the audience goes beyond fascination and forms an opinion, then the real trick has been pulled off. Information on how I integrate other subtopics of artificial intelligence into my program in lecture style can be found on this page.