A deepfake is a video, photo, or audio recording that seems real but has been manipulated with AI. The underlying technology can replace faces, manipulate facial expressions, synthesize faces, and synthesize speech. Deepfakes can depict someone appearing to say or do something that they in fact never said or did.
Adversaries can use deep fakes to steal your identity, commit financial fraud, and other malicious threats. When attempting to identify a deepfake photo/video look for:
- Extreme lighting/facial expressions
- Frozen eyes (aka the “Deepfake Stare”)
- Inconsistent blinking
- Mismatched earrings
- Lack of definition in some facial features
Audio deepfakes are extremely difficult to detect, even with detection software. Always consider the context of the audio or imagery, and double check before acting.
Read more about deepfakes here.