Presidential candidates join forces to sing 'Sing For Taiwan'? Taiwan AI Labs and Reporters Without Borders warn against AI deepfake videos during elections

2023.11.9

Taiwan AI Labs issued a single, "Sing for Taiwan," featuring four presidential candidates from various parties on September 9. This lively and humorous retro-style karaoke video, created using AI-generated technology, was showcased at the event organized by Reporters Without Borders, known as the "Taiwan Presidential Election News Ethics Pledge." The aim is to remind the public that in the age of generative AI, seeing is not always believing. Particularly during the presidential election period, vigilance and verification are crucial when encountering suspicious audio and video content.

The AI mimicked the voices and singing of the top four presidential candidates—Lai Ching-te (賴清德), Hou You-yi (侯友宜), Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), and Terry Gou (郭台銘). The music video of "Sing for Taiwan" utilized generative AI technology to present the four presidential candidates singing together in a hyper-realistic and retro-style karaoke format. The catchy melody and lyrics spread across Taiwan, encouraging the people to strive for their ideals, stand up, and cast their sacred votes, bringing smiles to many viewers.

Founder of Taiwan AI Labs,Ethan Tu (杜奕瑾), explained that the MV, produced by Taiwan AI Labs' Yating Studio's latest technology, utilized "AI Cover," which imitates the voices of the four candidates. The music composition was inspired by "AI Music Generation," while the characters were created using AI-generated animation technology, resulting in a distinctive AI music single.

"The release of this audiovisual work will serve as a demonstration of digital literacy in the new era, helping to establish cognitive security resilience for everyone."

As Taiwan's 2024 election-related activities heat up, NGOs, including Reporters Without Borders, the Civic Participation Media Reform Alliance, and the Taiwan Media Observation Education Foundation, formed an alliance. With the support of the Taiwan Journalists Association and the National Communication Media Industry Union, they launched the "Taiwan Election News Ethics Pledge Signing Event" and held the "Taiwan Election News Ethics Pledge" oath ceremony today. Huang Chao-hwei(黃兆徽), the Executive Director of Content at Taiwan AI Labs and an adjunct assistant professor at National Taiwan University's Graduate Institute of Journalism, served as the honorary guest. During the reading of the news ethics pledge, Huang Zhao-hui played the MV of "Sing for Taiwan" to remind media representatives present of the potential dangers of deepfake videos during the presidential election. He emphasized the need for heightened awareness and verification obligations for various audio and video messages of uncertain origin during this period.

The NGO alliance announced the first batch of media outlets signing the Election News Ethics Pledge, including Public Television Service(公視), Central News Agency(中央社), Radio Taiwan International(中央廣播電台), CTS(華視), CommonWealth Magazine(天下雜誌), and Watchout(沃草). They called on more media outlets to respond and adhere to the five major news ethics principles: fair reporting, accurate reporting, professional tone, respect for privacy, and openness and transparency.

In response, Ethan Tu, the founder of Taiwan AI Labs, pointed out that the non-profit information platform created by Taiwan AI Labs, Miin, can help the public access more complete and secure information through AI technology. By comparing reports from various media outlets and warning against coordinated misinformation, it can reduce the risk of being misled and avoid falling into cognitive traps.

Introduction to Taiwan AI Labs' Yating Music Art Team
Taiwan AI Labs develops internationally trusted research outcomes through open algorithms, source code, and collaborative learning. The Yating Music Art Team developed the "AI Cover" function, allowing users to easily upload a melody or song link and select the desired voice transformation, ultimately synthesizing a completely new AI cover. They also introduced the "AI Music Generation" function, where users only need to input a descriptive text, and the platform automatically generates short musical melodies. With the convenience and practicality akin to a musical version of Midjourney, the Yating Smart Platform is currently open for public use, allowing music enthusiasts to explore and experiment with new creative styles, showcasing the potential of artificial intelligence in the field of music.

Appendix 1
"Sing for Taiwan" Music Video: https://youtu.be/YlMunVxlLBo
"Sing for Taiwan" Lyrics:

【Spoken Part】
(Terry Gou) People of Taiwan, stand up.
(Lai Ching-te) In 2024, January 13th.
(Ko Wen-je) Let's join hands to defend democracy.
(Hou You-yi) Cast the sacred vote, Taiwan No.1.

【Chorus】
(Terry Gou) Election time, Taiwan's heart unites. (GT good timing)
(Hou You-yi) Let us sing loudly, the melody of freedom. (Taiwan, set out again)
(Ko Wen-je) The true meaning of democracy is defined by us. (Believe in the beautiful Taiwan)
(Lai Ching-te) Let's strive together for our ideals. (Team Taiwan supports Taiwan)

【Refrain (Chorus)】
The future is in our hands,
Holding the ballot tightly,
Every voice,
Is heard.