[NickRandom]

Can anyone provide an alternative source please? I've done a quick search and can't find any other sources reporting on this apart from 2x New Scientist links which are both pay-walled (as is the single Internet Archive submission) so my b.s detector is in the red on this one.

If in fact the BBC did do this (and that's a BIG if) that would be a huge story and a major breach of the BBC's editorial policies.

[vanilla-almond]

...so my b.s detector is in the red on this one

Why? A 2020 documentary called Welcome to Chechnya looked at repression of LGBT Chechens and was the first documentary to use "advanced facial replacement techniques using artificial intelligence and novel visual effects technology so the viewer could see real faces displaying real emotions while still protecting the identities of the speakers" [1]

The documentary was released by HBO Films. The BBC also broadcast the documentary.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welcome_to_Chechnya

[an1sotropy]

Thank you for pointing out this precedent in this use of face-swapping - it's a great idea, and (together with the OP link about Hong Kong protestors) changes my understanding of the threat/value of face-swapping technology.

[LeoPanthera]

1. The New Scientist is a respectable science magazine from the UK, there's no reason not to believe the story.

2. I think you have misunderstood what they did. People often request that their identities are hidden when they are interviewed by news organizations. This is usually done by filming them in silhouette, and sometimes altering their voices. This is no different, except that the AI "mask" gives the viewer a different face to look at. It's not controversial or a breach of any policies.

[benj111]

I watched the documentary.

It was very upfront about it.

And it's weird because you really couldn't tell (except one of the guys looked blind, pretty sure I'm not just being racist as he didn't look like that at other times)

[johneth]

They often hide interviewees faces; this is just a different method. As long as they disclosed this fact, I don't see what the problem is.

[benj111]

Personally I'd prefer other ways of hiding identities, then you'd know. You couldn't tell that they'd done it, and I'd infer that as some people were politicians their faces weren't changed.

[dpkirchner]

It seems consistent with their policies regarding anonymity and safety.

[netsharc]

News reports already have voice alterations, silhouetting and "Name has been altered", if they used face-swapping but put a big fat disclaimer on the screen, would that be a problem?