Beijing: TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, has unveiled a powerful AI model with advanced deepfake video generation capabilities. Unlike other AI models that require hundreds of images to create realistic deepfake videos, this AI can generate highly accurate videos using just a single image. While this breakthrough is being hailed as a major leap in technology, concerns are also rising over its potential for misuse.
The rapid advancement of AI technology has been reshaping the digital landscape worldwide. Over the past few years, AI dominance has surged, with innovations such as ChatGPT revolutionizing the tech industry. The collaboration between Microsoft and OpenAI led to ChatGPT’s rapid success, prompting major tech companies like Google, Meta, and X (formerly Twitter) to accelerate their own AI developments, such as Google’s Gemini, Meta’s AI, and X’s Grok.
Despite intense competition, ChatGPT has maintained a significant lead due to its accuracy and speed. AI models like ChatGPT can process natural language queries, think dynamically, and provide contextually relevant responses without relying solely on predefined algorithms. However, China’s AI model DeepSeek emerged as a strong competitor, challenging the dominance of ChatGPT. Developed by a Hangzhou-based AI firm, DeepSeek gained traction due to its free access, unlike ChatGPT, which operates on a freemium model.
Following DeepSeek’s disruption of the U.S. tech landscape, China has now introduced a more powerful AI model. ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, has launched OmniHuman, a next-generation AI capable of generating deepfake videos using just a single image. While this advancement is expected to push the boundaries of AI technology, it has also sparked serious ethical concerns.
Experts warn that OmniHuman’s ability to create highly realistic deepfake videos from just one image poses significant risks. Previously, AI models required thousands of images to generate deepfake content, but ByteDance’s new model delivers unbelievably realistic results with minimal input. This has raised fears that the technology could be exploited for misinformation, identity theft, and other malicious purposes. Tech analysts caution that while OmniHuman represents a major AI breakthrough, it also underscores the urgent need for ethical AI regulations to prevent misuse.