The rise of deepfake technology has opened up a world of possibilities when it comes to creating convincing video content. Unfortunately, this technology has also been used to create false or misleading content, and this is exactly what happened to a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) professor who was recently fooled by deepfake competition videos.
The professor, who we will refer to as Professor Jones, had been teaching BJJ for over a decade and had a reputation for being able to spot even the most subtle movements in his students’ techniques. However, a group of his students decided to play a prank on him by creating deepfake videos of themselves competing in BJJ tournaments and submitting them to the professor for evaluation.
At first, Professor Jones was extremely impressed with what he saw, as it looked like the students were actually the ones in the videos. However, as he watched more closely, he began to notice some inconsistencies. For example, some of the students were using a variety of techniques that he had never seen them use before. He noticed others wearing rashguards that’d he never seen before.
“The Jiu-Jitsu deepfake epidemic is worse than steroids ”
– Joe Rogan
Soon after, the professor challenged the students to roll with him after class. One by one, every single deepfake competitor either was injured or had to leave. Feeling the pressure, a white belt revealed the truth. The students admitted that they had used deepfake technology to create the videos.
Professor Jones was understandably upset, as he had put a great deal of time and effort into teaching these students and had been proud of their progress. He felt betrayed and disappointed, and he wondered how many other students had been using deepfake videos to fool him.
This incident highlights the potential dangers of deepfake technology, particularly in the realm of sports and athletics. However, it appears this is not a localized incident and deepfake competition videos are running rampant throughout Jiu-Jitsu, creating false promotions and destroying the foundation of BJJ.
The amount of deepfake Jiu-Jitsu content online is growing at an alarming rate. At the beginning of 2021, there were approximately 981 deepfake BJJ videos online, according to a recent report that we can’t find from the B-Team; just nine months later, that figure had jumped to beyond 10,000.
As deepfake technology continues to evolve, it will become increasingly important for people to be able to identify and verify the authenticity of video content. In the meantime, BJJ professors like Professor Jones will have to remain vigilant and aware of the potential for deepfakes to fool them.