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We've done a decent amount of research on the use of GAN-generated images over the last two years, mostly fake face "photos" such as those produced by thispersondoesnotexist(dot)com. Here are all of our related threads in one place.
cc: @ZellaQuixote https://twitter.com/conspirator0/status/1096877542521344002
cc: @ZellaQuixote https://twitter.com/conspirator0/status/1096877542521344002
GAN is an abbreviation for "generative adversarial network", the AI technique used to produce these images (and other things). Here's a "brief" description of how StyleGAN, the GAN behind thispersondoesnotexist(dot)com, works. https://machinelearningmastery.com/introduction-to-style-generative-adversarial-network-stylegan/
Here's the first network we found in the wild using GAN-generated face pics (29 of 52 accounts, created in two batches). The profiles featured repetitive biographies mentioning family, friends, country, and weapons.
https://twitter.com/conspirator0/status/1208974928227135488 https://twitter.com/conspirator0/status/1206046245183246338
https://twitter.com/conspirator0/status/1208974928227135488 https://twitter.com/conspirator0/status/1206046245183246338
Next up, a coronavirus/bitcoin-themed botnet from March 2020. 16 of 28 accounts used GAN-generated face pics. https://twitter.com/conspirator0/status/1239679591809237003
In May 2020, we ran into a set of five fake pro-Biden accounts, all using the same GAN-generated profile pic. These accounts self-deleted shortly after this thread was posted. https://twitter.com/conspirator0/status/1263255161281163264
Our first stab at a programmatic method for detecting GAN-generated face pics. This technique is designed to make the GAN-generated pictures easier to notice in groups of thousands of images - it isn't terribly accurate for individual images. https://twitter.com/conspirator0/status/1265499541861797890
From May 2020, a 41 account Spanish-language botnet using GAN-generated profile images, with a focus on Argentina. https://twitter.com/conspirator0/status/1266061446317826048
Next, a 4chan op using accounts with GAN-generated pics to push the #BernReturn hashtag alongside a bogus claim that Bernie Sanders was returning campaign donations. https://twitter.com/conspirator0/status/1277576575219912704
Speaking of 4chan, thispersondoesnotexist(dot)com is quite popular over there, and folks frequently suggest using it as a source of profile pics for bogus Twitter accounts.
https://twitter.com/conspirator0/status/1277267253659082752
https://twitter.com/conspirator0/status/1290050442345345025 https://twitter.com/conspirator0/status/1286878425362440193
https://twitter.com/conspirator0/status/1277267253659082752
https://twitter.com/conspirator0/status/1290050442345345025 https://twitter.com/conspirator0/status/1286878425362440193
Here's a thread on now-suspended part-automated political troll account @Juan6million. This account mostly pushed left-wing messaging and hashtags, but also promoted alt-right talking points and influencers such as @MrAndyNgo. https://twitter.com/conspirator0/status/1292137801455218688
The most prolific use of GAN-generated profile pics we've seen thus far was from the "Thousand Followers" follower-buying website (presently on hiatus). 8727 of 17957 of the fake Twitter followers provided by this site used GAN-generated images. https://twitter.com/conspirator0/status/1294824510085050374
From August 2020, a mixed commerical/political retweet botnet consisting of 21 accounts using GAN-generated face pics. https://twitter.com/conspirator0/status/1297237247314604032
We've run across a couple of botnets promoting cryptocurrency sites that use GAN-generated profile pics: 41 accounts pushing cointelegraph(dot)com and 28 accounts pushing ethereumcryptocurrency(dot)com.
https://twitter.com/conspirator0/status/1317565827311456259 https://twitter.com/conspirator0/status/1322603375477796866
https://twitter.com/conspirator0/status/1317565827311456259 https://twitter.com/conspirator0/status/1322603375477796866
Deepfake human faces are not the only sort of images one can produce with GANs. Here's a thread on GAN-generated anime pics, and the detection thereof: https://twitter.com/conspirator0/status/1320226536566542338
From November 2020, a fake follower/retweet botnet using GAN-generated profile pics (164 accounts). https://twitter.com/conspirator0/status/1324564750819332097
