Huayu has been doing one good deed a day since 2001

Chapter 321 AI Face-Swapping Technology Shocks Inside and Outside the Industry

More than ten days passed in the blink of an eye.

The 2007 Chinese summer movie season was drawing to a close amidst its continued success.

By September 8th, the blockbusters that had been pulled from theaters all had achieved remarkable box office success.

The strongest (in those years) saw mainland China accumulate 8.32 million, while Hong Kong's Hoi Wan accumulated 1.35 million.

This is 9.68 million RMB nationwide.

Based on the real-time exchange rate of USD to RMB in September of this year, it equals 1.287 million USD.

This movie is far less popular in Taiwan than in China, but it still managed to achieve some success at the box office.

La La Land and Sky of Love launched a major promotional campaign during the Qixi Festival.

They achieved sales of 2.58 million and 3.11 million respectively in mainland China.

(Chasing the Dragon) The total revenue in mainland China was 6.67 million, and the total revenue nationwide was 7.45 million, which is equivalent to 9900 million US dollars.

Even though (The Assassination of Ma) made it into the top 30 of the total box office in mainland China with 3.29 million yuan.

Currently, the blockbusters occupying the most screenings in major cinemas are (The Hangover 3) and (The Message).

These two films will be released on August 24, aiming to capitalize on the tail end of the summer movie season.

The sound of the wind was more pronounced than a hangover.

Chinese audiences are still not very fond of hangover-style Michelangelo comedies.

Moreover, the ratings on foreign websites had already circulated on both domestic and international Weibo accounts, and countless fans already knew it was a poorly executed project.

On the contrary, the war drama film (The Message), starring Qin Hao, Li Xiaolu, and Li Bingbing, is a welcome change for moviegoers who have seen too many action and romance films.

It still feels fresh!
It was a little after 1 p.m. on the 8th.

As Lao Li and Tong Liya walked out of the elevator on the second basement level, they saw Nazha running over from not far away, looking adorable. "Boss, the second female lead (accidentally) lost to Megan."

"I feel that I have failed in my duty without any real effort, and I have once again let you down, boss."

"How about I be punished by carrying your bag, massaging your legs and shoulders, and serving three years as punishment?"

On August 7th, it was confirmed that Xiao Yang would promote the upgraded (false positive) project.

In the past month, apart from her cameo role in (Search), Gulnazar has been working hard to find suitable child actors.

Still lost.

Because of Gulnazar's acting skills (67/100), while Megan Fox's is (79/100).

There was already a significant gap between the two.

The actress playing the mother, Kadirina, a graduate of the Central Academy of Drama who had been working in the entertainment industry for several years, has an acting skill level of around 70.

But what about Winona Ryder, who is reportedly interested in playing the lead role?

This is not on the same level.

The youngest actress; Hollywood brings together countless child stars from around the world.

Finding someone clever and witty is more efficient than having Nazha and Xiao Yang search for someone themselves.

Naza is used to losing!

Old Li, both amused and exasperated, gestured towards Nazha.

Tong Liya chuckled, "Are you punishing yourself? Don't be so funny, you're still too young."

As Old Li started to speak, he said, "Fine, I'll punish you by making you a half-day errand girl."

He is now heading to the Time 360 ​​Building to officially witness the relocation of the headquarters.

At the end of 2004, the twin towers of Weibo and Renren were under renovation and left empty for several months. When they moved out, 360 Group also rented several floors.

360's IPO application is currently undergoing processing at the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

The official bell-ringing ceremony will take place in November.

This most powerful security group in East and Southeast Asia has a high market value.

Zhou Hongyi had been planning the headquarters building for two years.

That place is purely a gathering of entrepreneurs, top talents, and people from the internet industry.

Nazha took the bag from Tong Liya's shoulder with a delighted expression. "Sister Tong, I don't have a driver's license, but I'm a really good driver. Would you like to be my driver?"

Xiao Tong rolled her eyes at her, "You should just give up."

The three of them drove away from the media building.

Naza exclaimed excitedly, "Boss, I heard that Sister Sissi's (nightclub/supermarket) has also wrapped up filming?"

This low-budget film was decided upon and invested in by Li Jiaxin when she was temporarily acting as CEO.

Filming started on July 10th, so it's perfectly normal for it to wrap up soon.

Post-production is more than halfway complete.

Publicity? The current rerun of "Descendants of the Sun" is the biggest publicity for Liu Yifei.

In addition, Time Video previously launched (The Story of a Noble Family) and (Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils).

Then there's (Chinese Paladin 1) and Hu Ge Xiao Liu's version (The Return of the Condor Heroes).

Simply promoting it on the homepage of video websites is enough for a large-scale publicity campaign.

Popular idol dramas such as "My Love from the Star" and "Goblin" have also been released online.

The popularity of video platforms continues to rise.

Of course, there are movies like "Dearest" and "The Assassination of Ma" to "Edison" and "You Are the Apple of My Eye".

This was one of the biggest May Day summer blockbusters of 07, and it has also been released on video platforms.

Unlike later major companies, Li Wenyu did not trick members into subscribing to monthly or annual VIP memberships.

You have to pay an additional 6 yuan to watch the latest blockbuster.

He didn't charge extra a second time; legitimate members can watch movies online anytime.

Old Li spearheaded the effort by arranging a technical team to crack down on piracy across the entire internet!
With 360 Group's formidable technological capabilities, they could recruit a group of people to support the video technology department.

Report any pirated websites or small platforms found online to higher authorities directly.

Given his current status as the richest Chinese person, it would be easy for him to get those pirate websites to take down pirated videos.

Downloaders like Xunlei that provide download formats will also be summoned for talks and have their download speeds limited for several months.

It's not that downloads have been permanently banned; it's just that the hype has died down after a few months.

Similar to the future trend of major companies charging 6 yuan for online movie viewing, after which VIP members can watch movies for free.

There are no restrictions; you can download whatever you want.

This is, after all, a matter concerning the overall valuation and market value of the Shiguang video platform.

He won't be unscrupulous and charge extra a second or third time.

Then they add more and more ads to disgust people.

However, we still need to work hard to attract more legitimate members.

Old Li laughed and said, "It's not bad. We don't expect a big hit for a low-budget comedy. We just want to give her another representative work and promote new talent."

This version of the nightclub is all about promoting Han Geng, this newcomer.

This also helps Xu Guangtou further establish himself in the film industry.

They chatted and laughed along the way.

Old Li's car arrived at the ground plaza across the street from the Zhongguancun Weibo and Renren Twin Towers.

This is the plaza that comes with the 360 ​​Security Group building.

Zhou Hongyi, Lei Zi, including Xiao Ma Ge, and then Xiong Xiaoge, Da Qiangzi, and others were all there.

This included a group of female relatives.

All things considered, this was one of the most glorious moments in the life of the man in the red shirt.

Two months later, when the company went public and rang the opening bell, he was both a major shareholder and CEO.

Old Zhou has broken into the top 20 of the Forbes China Rich List this year!
After all, besides dominating the antivirus market, 360 Group has also become the number one search engine in China.

With a large number of blood mines in the game department, he has essentially replaced Robin Lee from Baidu.

It's an upgraded version.

When Lao Li got out of the car, a group of people who were already at the door quickly came to greet him.

Tong Liya took Nazha as her little sister and started chatting with the wife of the man in red and the others.

After a brief period of pleasantries, Lao Zhou went to preside over the relocation ceremony, while Xiao Ma joked with a smile, "Today is also the official launch and beta testing day of WeChat."

"Chairman Li, I think we should build the WeChat Building too."

Old Li was speechless. "That's about it. The six-story building that Weibo bought in Zhongguancun in the beginning."

"It was demolished in early 05. It was just that the WeChat department had just opened and such a large space was a bit too spacious."

"We still need to rent out a few floors of office space."

Regardless of what the future holds for WeChat.

Comparing 360 Antivirus plus search with major gaming platforms? This isn't even how you try to scam someone.

After congratulating him, Da Qiangzi smiled and said, "Chairman Li, you have nearly ten headquarters buildings in Beijing. Take Hong Kong Island real estate as an example."

"Ten years from now, these buildings will all be hard assets. You've never been wrong about them."

Old Li casually made polite remarks; these days, he gets all the praise he needs wherever he goes. (After the relocation ceremony.)

The large team continued to move around, basically just across the street.

Zhou Hongyi also organized a large dinner party in the cafeteria.

Of course, the cafeteria in the 360 ​​Building is on the second floor, and there are quite a few private rooms with large windows.

Old Li only had a few drinks before leaving.

He came here simply to witness the event and take photos at certain times.

After returning to the fifteenth floor of the media headquarters, Lao Li did not go to the president's office but went into the AI ​​server room.

Open the specially customized computer operating platform and start operating it.

This special computer rivals the computing power of a new batch of commercially available supercomputing devices.

At this moment, he was accompanied not only by Xiao Tong and Nazha, but also by He Qing, who had come to watch the excitement.

The group watched as Old Li used his self-developed creative software to pull out a few minutes of movie footage and start editing, including cutting out faces.
As they watched, Nazha was utterly shocked and dumbfounded.

He Qing exclaimed in surprise, "This is computer-generated face swapping? That works?!"

Wow, this technological age is getting more and more advanced, and the level of technology is advancing several more times.

"Aren't we actors going to lose our jobs?"

What Lao Li is producing now is a short version of a Hong Kong film (Fight Back to School 1).

The face of He Min, who was played by Zhang Min, was replaced with Yang Mi's.

This may seem absurd, but it's simply normal technological research and development.

A few years later, CGI or AI face-swapping became widespread, and it became commonplace for lead actors to have their faces swapped when dealing with unreliable actors who caused scandals.

That's what's flowing into the market.

In various laboratories? Old Li is guaranteed to make breakthroughs in the field of AI for a year.

His technology is at the forefront of the world.

Large-scale commercial use is not yet possible; he has specially customized a computer with sufficient computing power, serving as a laboratory template.

AI face swapping is possible.

This is not perfect yet.

But it easily surpassed the strength of the download section more than a decade later.

After all, the CGI face-swapping in Captain America 1 four years later withstood the test of the global market.

And the movie "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," which will be released next year, also features large-scale CGI face swapping.

These days, he's almost finished watching the entire movie (Fight Back to School 1).

This idea came to him after he received harassing photos from Meitu for the Nth time on August 24.

It's been more than ten days.

Of course, this specially customized supercomputer had already been delivered, and the AI ​​data center was set up separately.

This was originally developed to create big data and algorithm software for automatic locking, re-aiming, adjusting camera distance, and automatic continuous firing.

The server room was just built.

After Sister He exclaimed in surprise, Nazha finally came to her senses and immediately knelt down, saying, "Boss, let me massage your legs to help you relax. This is too miraculous."

"I know that I, a brain-dead person who failed all my academic subjects, can't understand tech geniuses."

"But what about the Honey Sister version (Fight Back to School)?"

"Please consider me when you practice sometime."

"I would also like to request a unique representative work."

This looks like a prank or a random act.

But it contains the world's most advanced face-swapping technology.

Old Li shook his head, "Stop acting cute. Yang Mi has starred in a large number of works."

"Big data search can accumulate countless materials and organize them into a database of facial features and acting skills."

"Including voice packs."

The more representative works one has, the more materials are collected through big data and AI.

Only then can the replacement be achieved.

The next moment he offered an explanation: "Technology brings innovation, but it is also often used by criminals to commit fraud."

"In the next ten years, when you have a remote video call with someone and see your friend's face and voice asking you for money, it may all be a high-tech synthesis."

"This time I used Yang Mi's face to replace Sister Min."

"But the voice pack for the dialogue uses Liu Yifei's."

"At the latest, there will be a whole bunch of little surprises by tomorrow."

He Qing, Tong Liya, and others remained shocked, while Nazha continued to kneel and massage Lao Li's legs.

Naza felt that the opportunity to become a bag carrier and massage girl was the perfect punishment for her repeated failures.

Working closely with the boss has been incredibly impactful, with each experience being truly awe-inspiring.

Nazha certainly knows about Photoshop and creating fake images.

Old Li continued working.

Nazha looked up at Tong Liya curiously, "Sister Tong, you didn't know about this before?"

She could read Xiao Tong's reaction from his expression.

Xiao Tong was also speechless. "The renovation of this analog supercomputer and the room started at the end of last year, but the door is rarely opened."

The progress of the previous ten days or so was because Lao Li was bored.

Most people only come to revitalize the game during their dormant recovery period.

He Qing was shocked again, "If this kind of technology can exist, then as long as Mr. Li has a large enough material library and a complete enough voice pack."

"Can deceased celebrities be brought back to life on the big screen?"

Old Li continued working, "Theoretically it's possible, but it involves too much personal privacy, and many other aspects."

“I used Yang Mi and Liu Yifei’s facial expression and voice material libraries.”

"That's because we're on the same side and there are no legal obstacles."

In February of this year, Liu Yifei and Zhang Xinyu were tricked by a team arranged by SoftBank into defecting.

Old Li specifically asked Xiao Liu and Xiao Zhang to record the conversation repeatedly.

They collect all sorts of voices, including countless tones, to create their voice packs.

Yang Mi's facial image library was collected from countless finished films, including discarded film reels.

……

Two hours later.

Naza was kicked out of the server room because too many people came to watch the spectacle after hearing the news.

Even Fat Bing took a break from the production of (The Voice Season 2) and rushed back.

Some gossip is so good that you'd drop your regular job just to get the first scoop.

The AI ​​server room on the 15th floor is becoming increasingly lively.

Liu Yifei's office on the 9th floor of the headquarters.

Naza knocked on the door and was welcomed in. Seeing Liu Yifei about to go pour tea, she decisively grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds from her pocket and started cracking them open. "Sister Qianqian, something big has happened."

"There's something that concerns you, and it's estimated that it will soon reshape the worldview of countless people."

"Including worldview and values."

Liu Yifei was stunned when she walked to the small water bar and picked up the teapot.

She paused for a few seconds, then smiled, revealing her teeth, "Nazha, you'll only be 16 next year. You're trying to trick me at such a young age?"

This is nothing.

We are all one of the Five Dragon Maidens of Time.

The other person was still a little sister, while she was the leader of the Five Dragon Girls.

What's with all this talk about worldview, philosophy of life, and values?

These days, young girls have to be so sophisticated when they try to trick or fool people?

If this were Xiao Liu a few months ago, experiencing life at the train station, he probably would have been fooled.

In real life, I have come into contact with countless actors and actresses who have been imprisoned, whether by choice or by chance.

There will also be professional master photographers who will shoot video footage from multiple angles and with multiple cameras so that she can detach herself from the perspective of the person involved afterward.

When an outsider appreciates and reviews a collection of events.

Xiao Liu is no longer a naive newbie in the ivory tower.

Naza continued eating sunflower seeds as she walked over, mysteriously asking, "Dare you bet ten meals?"

"I bet your name will shock the industry and continue to do so until the Spring Festival."

Liu Yifei is a little confused.

(End of this chapter)