A convincing DeepFake Elon Musk just Zoom-bombed a video call
It's getting easier to create DeepFakes and use them for fun or to run scams.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2020) 'A convincing DeepFake Elon Musk just Zoom-bombed a video call', 311 Institute, 9 May. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/a-convincing-deepfake-elon-musk-just-zoom-bombed-a-video-call/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
Elon Musk's SpaceX might have banned Zoom for its employees over security concerns, however, you shouldn't be surprised if the CEO himself makes an appearance on your monthly meetings.
Yes, deepfakes have just taken yet another leap forwards, and as they get easier and cheaper to produce, in this case thanks to a developer who just simply used a photo of Elon Musk from the internet to create a good quality deepfake, just as Samsung showed off a while ago with their own deepfake tech, you can only expect more Elon Musk’s and celebs to turn up on more video calls.
Turning to the dark side though you might now also have to be on guard for your “boss” video calling you to get you to transfer vast sums of money to a dodgy Ukrainian bank account - a scam that this British energy CEO just fell victim to after he transferred hundreds of thousands of dollars at his “bosses” request after his real bosses voice got cloned.
Watch DeepFake Elon Musk crash a video call
In the video you can see Musk “popping” into a three-way Zoom call, and if it wasn’t for the awkward face movements and voice differences it might have fooled us all.
Programmer Ali Aliev, the man behind the Elon mask, used an open-source code from the "First Order Motion Model for Image Animation" software to build Avatarify, which is what you can use to superimpose Britney Spears' face onto your face in real-time during Skype and Zoom meetings.
Yes, thanks to this deepfake-powered filter, you can actually attend video calls as anyone from Mona Lisa to Elon Musk, and the code is available on Github for anyone to use.
In another YouTube clip, shown above, Aliev shows how Avatarify can take footage from his computer's webcam to translate his facial movements on to still images of Albert Einstein, Eminem, and Steve Jobs.
Which then begs the question… who do you want to be today? The Dalai Lama promoting peace, or Donald Trump announcing all out nuclear war? Pandora’s Box has been opened and there’s no going back. But it’ll be fun – probably.
FAQ
Why does this matter?
It's getting easier to create DeepFakes and use them for fun or to run scams.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
Read full bio
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 15-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
What future do you need to see?
Choose one to get started on AI and intelligence and the future of your organisation.
Sources and further reading
- Elon musks spacex bans zoom over privacy concerns memo idUSKBN21J71H reuters.com
- First Order Motion Model for Image Animation arxiv.org
- Avatarify github.com
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 9 May 2020. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2020). A convincing DeepFake Elon Musk just Zoom-bombed a video call. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/a-convincing-deepfake-elon-musk-just-zoom-bombed-a-video-call/
You are welcome to quote this article with credit and a link to the original.