Video Games

Streamer apologizes for watching deepfake adult videos of Pokimane

“I got morbidly curious”, says Atrioc

Marco Wutz

Streamer apologizes for watching deepfake adult videos of Pokimane
Streamer apologizes for watching deepfake adult videos of Pokimane /

Recently, a clip from the Twitch stream of Brandon “Atrioc” Ewing showing his internet browser went viral – and led to the streamer apologizing in tears alongside his wife.

Viewers spotted that Atrioc had been watching porn videos starring deepfake versions of other popular streamers such as Imane “Pokimane” Anys and Maya “Maya” Higa, Dexerto reports.

AI technology can project someone’s face and voice on top of existing videos, making it seem like they are really present in it, if it’s well executed. This deepfake technology has been decried for its potential in spreading misinformation and often uses a person’s face and voice without their consent, violating basic rights – porn videos are one field where deepfake tech is currently being employed in such an unethical manner, primarily targeting female celebrities.

Atrioc went on his stream to apologize for watching these videos shortly after the clip went viral, with his wife joining him.

He claimed he’d been researching AI technology recently and clicked on a targeted ad, which he saw on popular porn site Pornhub. “I don’t know, I got morbidly curious and I clicked something”, he said on his stream. “It’s gross and I’m sorry. I really fucking am. It’s so embarrassing.”

Another streamer ‘featured’ on the website Atrioc visited only found out that videos of this kind of her existed after watching the clip. Sweet Anita said on Twitter: “I literally choose to pass up millions by not going into sex work and some random cheeto encrusted porn addict solicits my body without my consent instead. Don’t know whether to cry, break stuff or laugh at this point.”

Atrioc said that he fell down a “rabbit hole” after “reading all this stuff about AI art, about deepfake music and everything.” He repeatedly exclaimed how embarrassing he felt about the situation.

Pokimane has not commented on the situation thus far, but due to her long-term success as a streamer it’s unfortunately unlikely that this is the first time she has been confronted with videos of this sort.

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Marco Wutz
MARCO WUTZ

Marco Wutz is a writer from Parkstetten, Germany. He has a degree in Ancient History and a particular love for real-time and turn-based strategy games like StarCraft, Age of Empires, Total War, Age of Wonders, Crusader Kings, and Civilization as well as a soft spot for Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail. He began covering StarCraft 2 as a writer in 2011 for the largest German community around the game and hosted a live tournament on a stage at gamescom 2014 before he went on to work for Bonjwa, one of the country's biggest Twitch channels. He branched out to write in English in 2015 by joining tl.net, the global center of the StarCraft scene run by Team Liquid, which was nominated as the Best Coverage Website of the Year at the Esports Industry Awards in 2017. He worked as a translator on The Crusader Stands Watch, a biography in memory of Dennis "INTERNETHULK" Hawelka, and provided live coverage of many StarCraft 2 events on the social channels of tl.net as well as DreamHack, the world's largest gaming festival. From there, he transitioned into writing about the games industry in general after his graduation, joining GLHF, a content agency specializing in video games coverage for media partners across the globe, in 2021. He has also written for NGL.ONE, kicker, ComputerBild, USA Today's ForTheWin, The Sun, Men's Journal, and Parade. Email: marco.wutz@glhf.gg

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