Buddhist office turns to Thai Cyber Police over AI-generated Facebook content

[webfact]

 

The National Office of Buddhism (NOB) sought assistance from the Thai Cyber Police, following the discovery of inappropriate content related to Buddhism on Facebook.

 

The content, generated by artificial intelligence (AI), depicts Buddhist monks engaging in non-religious activities, such as playing musical instruments and racing on motorbikes. These images, deemed damaging to the image of the monastic community, have raised concerns among the Buddhist community.

 

Suphat Mueangma, the head of the Secretariat of the Buddhist Association and spokesperson for the NOB, reported that a letter was drafted to the Cyber Police requesting an investigation into the source of this content. The NOB had discovered nine images of monks participating in non-religious activities, created using AI, on Facebook. Such content is considered harmful to the reputation of the monks and has caused discomfort among the Buddhist community.

 

Suphat added that the NOB has requested help to remove the inappropriate images and is currently investigating the origin of these AI-generated images. The aim is to coordinate with the Cyber Police for further action.

 

by Puntid Tantivangphaisal

Photo courtesy of KhaoSod

 

Full story: The Thaiger 2023-11-08

 

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[JBChiangRai]

Has a crime actually been committed? 

[fondue zoo]

16 minutes ago, JBChiangRai said:

Has a crime actually been committed? 

 

Life Thailand, uh, Finds A Way.

 

#butthurtmatters

 

 

..I'd go see that band though.  Metal Monks, the Monk'ey's

 

 

Transcend the Flesh      wait, that's also the band's name.

 

[Jonathan Swift]

3 hours ago, fondue zoo said:

 

Life Thailand, uh, Finds A Way.

 

#butthurtmatters

 

 

..I'd go see that band though.  Metal Monks, the Monk'ey's

 

 

Transcend the Flesh      wait, that's also the band's name.

 

The Buddha Boys

[Jonathan Swift]

What if they find out that it was the monks themselves who did it? Aren't they entitled to a little fun? 

[alien365]

People get upset so easily nowadays. Just grow a pair.

[klauskunkel]

3 hours ago, JBChiangRai said:

Has a crime actually been committed? 

I guess they wanna nip it in the bud before pictures of monks shooting heroin or robbing a gold shop come out.

[Bangkok Barry]

This is actually a serious problem, begun years ago with Photoshop. Nothing we see now is necessarily real, and I see no positives in that at all. None. Just because we can do something doesn't mean we have to.

[Jonathan Swift]

I would think that it would behoove themselves to have a sense of humor. Certainly this was done in a lighthearted spirit. Even the pope has a sense of humor, I'm sure he's get a chuckle if the same were done to him. And one might ask, what would Buddha himself think and say? Better to laugh than to cry, suffer, or hate. 

[Jonathan Swift]

6 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

This is actually a serious problem, begun years ago with Photoshop. Nothing we see now is necessarily real, and I see no positives in that at all. None. Just because we can do something doesn't mean we have to.

So having a bit of a laugh isn't a positive? A little satire here and there to lighten up otherwise serious issues? I see no harm in this, either intentional or indirectly. Life getting too complex for you in your old age? 

[RocketDog]

Just now, Bangkok Barry said:

This is actually a serious problem, begun years ago with Photoshop. Nothing we see now is necessarily real, and I see no positives in that at all. None. Just because we can do something doesn't mean we have to.

Humans are just not like that. We're hardwired for curiosity, even if it is fatal.

If it's possible, humans WILL do it, good or bad.

 

War has no good points either but it's been waged since the very beginning of intelligence in monkeys.

 

It's a blessing and a curse. Unfortunately it has brought us inevitably to the mess we find ourselves in now: a train wreck in slow motion. Might as well just sit back and enjoy the ride.

[Tom Parkinson]

How do they know these images are AI-generated? Is it possible that they are just trying to bury “offensive” but very real pictures of monks misbehaving?

[Tom H]

3 hours ago, JBChiangRai said:

Has a crime actually been committed? 

Yes. Act against the computer crime act in Thailand. 

[JBChiangRai]

1 minute ago, Tom H said:

Yes. Act against the computer crime act in Thailand. 

I’m not convinced the act covers that, unless the faces are real monks or it wasn’t made clear in the post it was fiction. 

[a3tsw]

36 minutes ago, Jonathan Swift said:

The Buddha Boys

Buddha Boys , Buddha Boys

Laced-up Boots and Corduroys..

[Bangkok Barry]

2 minutes ago, Jonathan Swift said:

12 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

This is actually a serious problem, begun years ago with Photoshop. Nothing we see now is necessarily real, and I see no positives in that at all. None. Just because we can do something doesn't mean we have to.

So having a bit of a laugh isn't a positive? A little satire here and there to lighten up otherwise serious issues? I see no harm in this, either intentional or indirectly. Life getting too complex for you in your old age? 

 

I guess the Buddhism Office doesn't see it the way you do. But the problem is infinitely wider than this, isn't it. There is no certainly that any picture you see now is real. I find that very disturbing as that doesn't only apply to pictures such as these - which I think are excellent, by the way.

 

Because AI makes it possible to not only allow photos to be manipulated or generated by computers, but for someone else's voice to be used on any video, even to the extent of the speech being in a different language with the lips syncronised to fit. You can even have dead people talking and answering questions put to them. There was Johnny Cash 'singing' 'I'm a Barbie Girl'. Amusing, but not everyone would use the technology for fun. Whatever the human race invents, it quickly turns it to evil ends. Take social media, for example, and the huge numbers who mis-use it to send death threats and abuse to others. You could have Joe Biden saying that Vladimir Putin should be chased down and executed, with it looking entirely real.

I guess you're okay with all that, though. Either that, or you don't see the bigger picture.

[connda]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The content, generated by artificial intelligence (AI), depicts Buddhist monks engaging in non-religious activities, such as playing musical instruments and racing on motorbikes. These images, deemed damaging to the image of the monastic community, have raised concerns among the Buddhist community.

Not as much as the monks who are caught driving, having sex, drinking, and taking drugs.

[fondue zoo]

36 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

This is actually a serious problem, begun years ago with Photoshop. Nothing we see now is necessarily real, and I see no positives in that at all. None. Just because we can do something doesn't mean we have to.

10 minutes ago, Bangkok Barry said:

 

I guess the Buddhism Office doesn't see it the way you do. But the problem is infinitely wider than this, isn't it. There is no certainly that any picture you see now is real. I find that very disturbing as that doesn't only apply to pictures such as these - which I think are excellent, by the way.

 

Because AI makes it possible to not only allow photos to be manipulated or generated by computers, but for someone else's voice to be used on any video, even to the extent of the speech being in a different language with the lips syncronised to fit. You can even have dead people talking and answering questions put to them. There was Johnny Cash 'singing' 'I'm a Barbie Girl'. Amusing, but not everyone would use the technology for fun. Whatever the human race invents, it quickly turns it to evil ends. Take social media, for example, and the huge numbers who mis-use it to send death threats and abuse to others. You could have Joe Biden saying that Vladimir Putin should be chased down and executed, with it looking entirely real.

I guess you're okay with all that, though. Either that, or you don't see the bigger picture.

 

 

There is no stopping the bigger picture now.

 

 

[animatic]

More worried about face than function.

 

if they are truly good Buddhists then they should not care, because they are free from these thoughts. 
It’s outside, it doesn’t matter

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The content, generated by artificial intelligence (AI), depicts Buddhist monks engaging in non-religious activities, such as playing musical instruments and racing on motorbikes.

Here we come, walkin'
Down the street
We get the funniest looks from
Ev'ry one we meet
Hey, hey, we're the Monkees
And people say we monkey around
But we're too busy singing
To put anybody down

[HappyExpat57]

4 hours ago, JBChiangRai said:

Has a crime actually been committed? 

 

The acronym is certainly a crime! (NOB)

[brfsa2]

No no... you got it wrong, they want to sue AI for defamation. 

[Freddy42OZ]

NOB     

[kimamey]

1 hour ago, Jonathan Swift said:

So having a bit of a laugh isn't a positive? A little satire here and there to lighten up otherwise serious issues? I see no harm in this, either intentional or indirectly. Life getting too complex for you in your old age? 

 

I don't think the issue is so much with these pictures, but with the ease of producing harmful misinformation.

As for the legality, I don't know. In Thailand the Computer Act, or whatever it's called can probably be used as it is in other cases of real or perceived harm.

[kimamey]

4 hours ago, JBChiangRai said:

Has a crime actually been committed? 

 

The guy on the left isn't wearing a helmet and unlike Thai roads the laws are respected and enforced on racetracks. 

[roger101]

1 hour ago, connda said:

Not as much as the monks who are caught driving, having sex, drinking, and taking drugs.

Well said.

[Koguma]

1 hour ago, Bangkok Barry said:

This is actually a serious problem, begun years ago with Photoshop. Nothing we see now is necessarily real, and I see no positives in that at all. None. Just because we can do something doesn't mean we have to.

Not a problem at all.  I consider having to question all media a positive. Time to wake up. 

[mran66]

Any videos about the recent real activities of monks, like burying money behind the temple for later personal use, browsing of luxury car collection in temple garage or drinking laokao with ladies in the temple?

[Chris Daley]

All that magical monk power and you get defeated by a teenager using AI.

[Srikcir]

Reminds me of the American Flying Nun tv sitcom. Funny and wholesome. Many video parodies of religious icons found on YouTube.