Oh, so who r u eventually?

Hương Huynh

HD Video 1:05 min, Screen Desktop Animation

As we move deeper into the digital age, the lines between what’s real and what’s fake are growing harder to define. AI – what started as a clever tech trick is now a powerful tool – now shape how we see truth, identity, and presence in the digital space. This project looks at the strange, fluid space we’re in now, where the real and the fake blur, and where the digital life feels both familiar and deeply strange at the same time.

The Making of Oh, so who r u eventually?

In our post-digital age, the boundaries between reality, hyperreality and non-reality have become increasingly blurred. As technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace, so too does the spread of disinformation and the theft of digital identity. These threats have grown more sophisticated and pervasive, to the point where it’s difficult to distinguish truth from fabrication. Among the most alarming developments is the rise of deepfake technology. It is becoming not only more convincing but also more accessible, and therefore more dangerous.

This project was sparked by a personal experience. My father received multiple scam calls from people using a voice that mimicked my mother’s, attempting to trick him into sending money. Hearing that story deeply unsettled me and led me to explore the darker side of digital identity in the context of deepfakes, face-swapping, and voice cloning.

In this short video project, deepfake technology was used as both the subject and medium. The narration is delivered by a deepfaked version of myself, emphasising how easily these tools can be used and misused. By doing this, I aim to highlight the vulnerability of our digital identities and the urgent need to protect them in the post-digital world.

To bring this message to life, I combined deepfake visuals with desktop screen animations. This approach allowed me to present multiple layers of information simultaneously, while also giving the video a distinct visual style. Through this method, I wanted to capture not just the technical aspects of identity theft, but also the emotional and societal implications of living in a time when seeing no longer means believing.

VIDEO-SCRIPT:

Hey.
It’s your friend Huong here.
How are you doing today?

(Pause)

Do you think... I’m real?

The answer is:
Both yes... and no.

(Pause)

Every day, we trust our own eyes and ears
to decide what’s real...
and what isn’t.
Especially on social media.

(Pause)

A selfie.
A video clip.
A story shared in seconds.

But all of that... can be manipulated.
By technology.
To spread disinformation.

And disinformation doesn’t just spread.
It multiplies.

You could say things...
you never actually said.
Someone could look exactly like you
and say them.