North Korean Leader, Kim Jong Un, Directs National Purchase of Bitcoin: Fact-Checking Analysis
In a video circulating on social media, individuals claim that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is advocating the purchase of Bitcoin, giving an emotional speech and urging citizens to invest in the digital currency. However, a closer examination reveals the clip as a manipulated deepfake.
Deepfake technology merges visuals of Kim Jong Un with audio from Michael Saylor, Strategy Executive Chairman, promoting Bitcoin as the superior digital asset. The misleading video distorts Saylor's remarks about mortgaging homes to buy Bitcoin, which were falsely attributed to Kim Jong Un.
The discrepancy between the lip movements and the audio, as well as the known source of the speech, serves to affirm that the video is inauthentic. It's plausible that Deepfake technology was employed to superimpose Saylor's words onto the footage of Kim Jong Un.
This instance highlights the prevalence of misinformation within the crypto community. It underscores the necessity for viewers to verify their sources before sharing sensational content. It's important to remember that the original speaker in the video is Michael Saylor, not Kim Jong Un.
Incorporating deepfake technology is becoming increasingly common, with perspectives like North Korea using AI to alter appearances in video interviews for fraudulent purposes to gain financial advantages for the regime. Nonetheless, this particular video appears unrelated to such activities.
In brief, the video that suggests Kim Jong Un is encouraging Bitcoin investments is a deepfake and features Saylor's audio from his original speech on the topic. There is no evidence authenticating Kim Jong Un's involvement in endorsing Bitcoin investments.
- Michael Saylor's original speech promoting Bitcoin as a superior digital asset was manipulated using deepfake technology to create a false impression that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was advocating for Bitcoin investments.
- While it is plausible that deepfake technology is increasingly used by countries like North Korea for fraudulent purposes, this particular video does not seem to be related to such activities as there is no evidence linking Kim Jong Un to Bitcoin endorsements.
- In pop-culture and general-news discussions about Bitcoin, it's essential to be cautious about misleading information that might circulate on social media, such as the deepfake video in question, and to always verify sources before sharing content.
