A deepfake video of Indian cricket legend Virat Kohli has gone viral, provoking a stir among sports fans and the wider internet community.
The manipulated clip uses artificial intelligence to mimic Kohli’s voice and facial expressions, depicting him criticizing top batter Shubman Gill, highlighting what he lacks and how he has a long way to go.
“I’ve been watching Gill closely, he’s talented, no doubt, but there’s a huge gap between showing promise and becoming a legend,” the mimicked voice of Kohli could be heard saying.
“When we came back from Australia, I figured out what it takes to succeed at the highest level. I have been watching Gill closely. He is talented, no doubt. But there’s a big gap between showing promise and becoming a legend. Gill’s technique is solid, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” it adds.
The viral video also falsely depicts the cricket icon lionizing himself, stating that there is only one Virat Kohli.
“I have faced the toughest bowlers, delivered in the most intense situations, and done it consistently for over a decade. You can’t replicate that with just a few good innings,” it asserted.
Watch the full video here:
AI is Dangerous pic.twitter.com/njUvwiwc4t
— Cricketopia (@CricketopiaCom) August 27, 2024
The internet reacts:
The video was posted on August 27th and has become viral across the internet, gaining over 4 lakh views. People shared their reactions on the comments section of the video.
One of the users wrote, “No matter how arrogant people say he might be but he will never, ever say this.”
“If you didn’t say AI, I would have thought what!? Trusting it 95%. After saying it, AI, still thinking 50%,” another person wrote.
, “I will be half asleep and still know that this is not how Virat talks, and this is not even his voice,” another added.
This is not the first time Virat Kohli has become the target of AI-powered deepfake technology. Earlier in February this year, another video went viral where he could be seen endorsing a betting application called ‘Aviator,’ promising significant returns with minimal investments.
AI: Is it too dangerous?
Virat Kohli’s viral deepfake video has also raised questions about the danger and potential misuse of AI across the sports and social media community. Several have termed the technology “dangerous” and highlighted the need for more stringent measures in place to protect people from harm.
For a moment I thought it was real 😭
AI is dangerous for sure#ViratKohli𓃵 #ShubmanGill pic.twitter.com/uhRvOwCfee— Alter EGO | Sanju (@me_sanjureddy) August 28, 2024
AI is becoming too realistic it is scary.. #fakevideo#ViratKohli #shubhmangill pic.twitter.com/Hlwfmmbifi
— Utkarsh Awasthi (@utkarshawasthii) August 29, 2024
