Company Directory - Synthesia
Company Details - Synthesia
Synthesia
WebsiteSynthesia specializes in creating photorealistic AI avatars and videos, utilizing advanced AI technology to enhance digital content creation. The platform is designed to allow users to generate video content with lifelike avatars that can speak in multiple languages, making it a valuable tool for businesses in training and marketing.
CCI Score
CCI Score: Synthesia
8.61
-0.01%
Latest Event
Scrutiny over Synthesia AI Avatars Misused in Propaganda
Synthesia's lifelike AI avatars were used without consent in deepfake videos falsely endorsing Burkina Faso's military leader, causing distress among actors and prompting scrutiny over the company’s content moderation and safeguards.
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OBJECTOR
Synthesia is currently rated as an Objector.
Latest Events
- OCT212024
Synthesia's lifelike AI avatars were used without consent in deepfake videos falsely endorsing Burkina Faso's military leader, causing distress among actors and prompting scrutiny over the company’s content moderation and safeguards.
-70
Provision of Repressive Technologies
April 12
Synthesia’s technology was misused to produce deepfake propaganda endorsing an authoritarian regime. This incident highlights the provision of potentially repressive technology without sufficient safeguards to prevent its use in authoritarian messaging.
London-based company faces scrutiny for AI models misused in propaganda campaigns
-60
Labor Relations and Human Rights Practices
April 12
Actors who participated in Synthesia's AI projects discovered their likenesses were later used in unauthorized political propaganda, resulting in emotional distress. This evidences a failure in protecting the human rights and labor interests of the individuals involved.
London-based company faces scrutiny for AI models misused in propaganda campaigns
- OCT162024
A viral deepfake video, created using Synthesia's advanced AI avatar technology, surfaced promoting Burkina Faso’s junta leader following a recent military coup. The manipulated video, originally intended for benign marketing and training purposes, is being exploited to bolster authoritarian propaganda, raising concerns about the misuse of the platform's technology.
-80
Media Influence and Propaganda
April 12
Synthesia's technology, designed for creating photorealistic AI avatars and legitimate video content, has been misappropriated to produce political deepfakes. The video endorsing Burkina Faso’s junta leader shortly after a military coup demonstrates how the technology is exploited to spread authoritarian propaganda, thereby contributing indirectly to the undermining of democratic discourse.
- OCT102024
Synthesia introduces updated platform policies requiring enterprise account holders with custom AI avatars to create political content. This change, effective immediately, aims to promote transparency and accountability in political communications by ensuring that only verified organizations and individuals can generate politically relevant content.
+70
Public and Political Behavior
April 12
By restricting political content creation to verified enterprise users and mandating the use of custom AI avatars, Synthesia is taking a proactive step to enhance accountability and transparency in the political arena. This measure helps ensure that political messaging on the platform is traceable and responsible, reducing the risk of misinformation and abuse, which aligns with anti-fascist and democratic principles.
Introducing new guidelines for political content on Synthesia
- MAR042024
Synthesia detailed a series of proactive measures aimed at safeguarding the democratic process in the coming 2024 election cycle. The company outlined strict content policies—including bans on certain political content for non-corporate users, robust content moderation at the point of creation, watermarking, and the use of content credentials—as well as collaborative initiatives with civic and industry partners to curb the spread of AI-propagated misinformation.
+90
Public and Political Behavior
April 12
Synthesia’s commitment to restricting disinformation and ensuring election integrity—including explicit bans on political content that could undermine democracy and active engagement with civic groups—demonstrates a strong anti-authoritarian stance in the public and political sphere.
+85
Business Practices and Ethical Responsibility
April 12
The company reinforces ethical business practices by embedding robust content policies and ensuring that its AI innovations operate under strict guidelines that protect democratic processes. Its measures for consent, compliance, and proactive moderation align well with a commitment to ethical responsibility.
+80
Technology and Services Impact
April 12
Leveraging technological innovations such as watermarking and content credentials, Synthesia is proactively mitigating the risk of AI-generated misinformation. These measures exemplify its commitment to ensuring that technology serves democratic integrity rather than undermining it.
- OCT012023
Synthesia announced new restrictions on the use of its deepfake technology, banning news report‐style content and implementing digital watermarks to clearly label AI‐generated videos. This move aims to curb the spread of misinformation that could be used to manipulate public discourse.
+60
Public and Political Behavior
April 12
By banning news-style content and adding digital watermarks, Synthesia is taking proactive steps to limit the use of its technology in spreading deepfake misinformation. This measure helps safeguard democratic discourse and reduces the risk of the technology being used to promote authoritarian narratives.
+70
Technology and Services Impact
April 12
The introduction of a digital watermark and the prohibition of news-style content demonstrate a commitment to ethical technology use. This helps prevent the exploitation of Synthesia’s AI in fabricating realistic but misleading content, thereby reducing its potential misuse in political propaganda and authoritarian influence.
- MAR172023
Synthesia, a leading generative AI company, banned a Venezuelan user after discovering that their platform was used to create deepfake propaganda videos that supported Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and downplayed severe national issues. The prompt ban reflects the company’s commitment to preventing the misuse of its technology in spreading authoritarian propaganda.
+50
Business Practices and Ethical Responsibility
April 12
Synthesia quickly banned the Venezuelan user responsible for creating AI-generated propaganda, demonstrating ethical responsibility and commitment to preventing the misuse of its platform for promoting authoritarian narratives.
UK startup’s generative AI tools used for Venezuelan propaganda
+50
Technology and Services Impact
April 12
By taking swift action to ban the user generating deepfake propaganda, Synthesia demonstrates a positive approach in mitigating the spread of misinformation and authoritarian propaganda through its technology.
UK startup’s generative AI tools used for Venezuelan propaganda
- FEB212023
An analysis reveals that AI avatars created using Synthesia's platform have been employed to spread pro-Venezuela propaganda. The technology, which enables users to easily generate lifelike digital speakers in multiple languages, has been co-opted by propagandists to blur the lines between fact and fiction in politically charged narratives.
-50
Provision of Repressive Technologies
April 12
Synthesia's advanced AI video creation tools, originally designed for training and marketing, are being used to generate photorealistic avatars that disseminate pro-Venezuela propaganda. This unintended enablement of politically charged, state-sponsored messaging raises concerns about the provision of repressive technologies that can facilitate authoritarian narratives.
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Industries
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- Motion Picture and Video Production
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- Custom Computer Programming Services
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