What are deepfakes?
Updated: Sep 9
Deepfakes are images, sounds, and videos altered or created by artificial intelligence (AI). The name comes from the "deep" machine learning used to create authentic-looking content.
Deepfake technology has been used for a variety of purposes including entertainment, e-commerce, education, and disinformation.
Deepfake technology has been used to create:
Training videos for human resource departments
Realistic-looking characters and visuals in movies
Artificial images that have won photography awards
Face swaps and voiceovers for disinformation campaigns
When used inappropriately, deepfakes can cause people to lose confidence in their ability to tell what is real, increasing skepticism of all media.
Deepfake technology can take advantage of consumers' biases, leading them to not question photos or images that already fit their expectations of what is true. Experts say this makes it important for media consumers to slow down.
Consumers can often tell a video or photo is fake through these indicators:
Irregularities in skin tone, voice tone, and blinking
Odd reflections and shadows
Shape of teeth, hands, and eyes
Speech out of sync with mouth movements
Strange textures and details
Before you share a provocative video or image, pause. Use a reverse Google search to see if the image has appeared elsewhere on the web. Look for multiple reputable sources that can verify an event.
Be a conscious consumer. Learn how to recognize deepfake media.
Sources:
U.S. Government Accountability Office: Deepfakes, bit.ly/3AwPgHu
Common Sense Media: What are deepfake videos? bit.ly/3AwPRCE
New York Times: The people onscreen are fake. The disinformation is real, bit.ly/3AFfjYZ
National Geographic: How can you tell if a photo is AI generated? bit.ly/3AAatQ
USA Today: Artist declines award because image was AI generated, bit.ly/3AFhmd7
