“The Great Dictator” is reimagining how deepfake technology can be used—not for deception, but for education and reflection. As concerns grow about AI-generated media making it harder to distinguish truth from fiction, this installation flips the narrative by using the same tools to place individuals inside iconic historical speeches.
Created by filmmaker Gabo Arora, the project allows participants to step up to a podium, read excerpts from famous speeches, and then see themselves seamlessly inserted into archival footage. Their voice and likeness are cloned using generative AI, transforming them into the speaker within minutes. Rather than spreading misinformation, the experience aims to deepen understanding of rhetoric, power, and historical moments.
Participants can choose from speeches across different eras, including Malcolm X’s 1964 address, Ronald Reagan’s Cold War-era speech, and Zohran Mamdani’s 2024 victory speech. After delivering a short segment, AI generates a realistic video where their cloned voice continues the speech while their face is integrated into the original footage, complete with simulated crowd reactions.
The project draws inspiration from The Great Dictator, using performance and technology to explore how speeches shape societies across time. Ultimately, it highlights a powerful idea: while deepfakes are often associated with manipulation and misinformation, they can also be repurposed as tools for empathy, education, and historical engagement—reminding us that technology itself is neutral, but its impact depends on how humans choose to use it.
