We (society, the government, social media companies, etc.) were clearly not prepared for the onslaught of fake news during the 2016 election. Since then, prevention and identification techniques have improved and become more accessible. However, fake news continues to evolve, and the newest threat might be deepfakes.
Deepfakes are essentially videos, images, or audio that are manipulated by software or artificial intelligence (AI) to produce media that appear to be real. Here are some examples:
In the past few years, deepfakes were not extensively weaponized, especially in politics. Although, there have been instances where deepfakes have been used in questionable or nefarious ways.
However, the threat is there, and the implications of deepfakes have many people worried because deepfakes are getting better, more real, and easier to make. Today, deepfakes are even more of a concern than they were only a couple of years ago because of the rise of generative AI and how easy they are to make with those tools.
Forms of Deepfakes
Deepfakes come in many different forms and formats (videos, images, audio). Here are two common examples:
Cheap Fakes
Cheap fakes (also known as dump fakes and shallow fakes) are related to deepfakes, but they involve slightly less sophisticated video manipulations. However, this does not diminish their impact.
A perfect example of cheap fakes (and how dangerous they can be) is 2019's viral video of Rep. Nancy Pelosi that was deliberately slowed down to make her sound drunk.
Detecting deepfakes can be challenging, especially today with generative AI tools. In fact, a research study published in February 2025 by iProove found that of the 2,000 participants tested, only 0.1% could accurately distinguish real images and videos from AI-generated fakes.
More tools are needed to help with the detection of deepfakes. Companies have also created (or are in the process of creating) technology, like software, AI, etc., to help detect deepfakes, but there are concerns that they will never be enough.
There are steps the average person can take to be more vigilant. The techniques used to spot deepfakes are similar to those used to spot fake news.
When it comes to detecting deepfake videos BuzzFeed offers these 5 tips:
Deepfakes in Hollywood
The idea of deepfakes has been around for a number of years. Similar techniques and technologies have especially been used in Hollywood.
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