Tom Cruise Impersonator Believes In ‘Positive Output’ Of Deepfake Videos

The mastermind behind the Tom Cruise deepfake videos on TikTok has come forward to talk about the technology that has made him a star.

Actor Miles Fisher is a Tom Cruise lookalike who had gained over 3 million followers on TikTok for his videos using deepfake technology in order to impersonate the “Mission Impossible” actor.

In an exclusive interview on the Today Show with NBC News correspondent Jacob Soboroff, Fisher reveals what it’s like to be “the unofficial face of this deep fake movement.”

Fisher bears a strong resemblance to Cruise in real life, so he decided to contact Belgian visual effects specialist Chris Umé to help him make the videos for fun. The duo revealed that they are able to create the parody videos in about five or six days.

“As I find myself the unofficial face of this deep fake movement, it’s important to learn and I’m fascinated by this,” Fisher said in an interview on Tuesday. “This is the bleeding edge of technology.”

“I think we’ve created the first deepfake that’s so realistic, that a large majority of people have seen,” he added.

It should be noted that Tom Cruise has not asked the duo to stop the parody videos. The account is not monetized, so Fisher is not making money off of his parody videos.

The duo was so successful at creating these parody videos using deepfake technology that they decided to work together to create their own company called Metaphysic.

“How can we use this technology by creating kind of identity rights?” Fisher asked. “Let’s say Tom Cruise gave us the consent for this likeness, where we could move beyond just small parody clips. Everybody gets paid for that intellectual property.”

They believe that deepfake technology is “morally neutral,” adding, “As it develops, the positive output will so far outweigh the negative, nefarious uses.”

However, not everyone is convinced.

In 2019, University of Maryland law professor Danielle Citron had previously told NBC News that “Deepfakes can cause real, concrete harm. Whether that’s a deepfake sex video, or a fake porn video targeting political enemies, or a well-timed deepfake, may be used to cause harm to an IPO. And, in unrest, if you time it just right, you can incite violence.”

The threat of deepfake technology being used for nefarious purposes has been heavily debated in Congress, with some offering concerns that it could be used for political propaganda.

In recent years, famous celebrities like Jennifer Lawrence, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mark Zuckerberg, and former President George W. Bush have all been victims of convincing deepfake technology that resulted in viral videos.

In a statement, the FBI told NBC News that it is closely tracking deepfake technology and “will continue to investigate any violations of federal law and actors that may use them for nefarious acts.”

As for Fisher, his fans hope that they will continue to get to watch the Tom Cruise lookalike continue to perform magic tricks, practice golf, and play the guitar.