Deepfake: the art of lying with videos and how videos are no longer valid proof.
So I wasn’t even planning to write about this, but I watched this video the other night of what looked like Tom Cruise juggling or something and for a hot sec I was like “oh wow he’s kinda talented??” and then I found out it wasn’t him at all. It was a deepfake. So was Obama’s speech which didn’t sound like him at all.
and now I’m spiraling a bit.
if you don’t know what a deepfake is, it’s basically this creepy/fascinating thing where people use AI to make fake videos or audio that look and sound like real people. like they can literally make it look like someone’s saying or doing something they never actually did. it’s wild. sometimes funny. sometimes really not.
the tech is cool but also super cursed
on one hand, the tech behind it is kinda insane?? like people are out here using deepfakes to recreate young versions of actors in movies or bring back people who’ve passed away and that’s honestly kinda sweet in a way. i saw one where someone deepfaked their grandma into a video message and like… yeah okay i cried.
but also??? people are using it to do some really gross stuff. like making fake porn with people’s faces in it (usually women, surprise surprise 🙃), or creating videos of politicians saying stuff they never said to stir up drama online. and some of them look real. like scarily real. which is what makes it so dangerous.
what’s real anymore??
this is where it gets kinda dystopian-feeling. like if you can’t trust what you’re watching or hearing anymore… what even is real? what happens when someone posts a deepfake of your favorite celebrity saying something awful? or worse, someone you know?
imagine your boss gets a video emailed to them of you saying something horrible. and it looks real. and you’re like “that’s not me!!” but it’s hard to prove because the tech is so good. idk man, the whole thing just makes my brain hurt a little.
people are already getting scammed
there’s already stories of people getting tricked by deepfake voices. like this one guy thought his CEO called him and told him to wire money to a supplier, so he did… and turns out it wasn’t his boss at all. it was AI. a fake voice. $240,000 gone just like that. i mean?? terrifying.
and you don’t have to be famous to get targeted either. anyone’s photos or videos can be pulled off the internet and used to make a fake. like we post so much of ourselves online without thinking. i’ve got like 500 videos of me on insta doing dumb stuff and now i’m like hmm… maybe not the best idea lol.
so like, can we stop it?
ehhh… kind of?? people are working on tools to detect deepfakes, but every time they figure one thing out, the deepfake tech just gets better. it’s like this never-ending race.
some governments are trying to pass laws against using deepfakes for bad stuff, but we all know how slow that kinda thing moves. and social media platforms are trying to flag fake stuff, but let’s be real—they miss a lot.
so for now it’s kinda up to us to not fall for it. which is hard when the fake stuff looks so real. but like… if something seems sus, maybe google it first before reposting it, you know? or check if other places are talking about it. or just hit pause and be like “wait a sec… is this real or am i being played?”
my honest take
deepfakes freak me out. like, a lot. the fact that someone can just fake your face and voice and make a whole video of you doing something you never did?? that’s some black mirror stuff. and it’s not even future tech anymore. it’s already here.
but also, i don’t think we need to panic. we just need to be smarter. question stuff. don’t believe everything you see, even if it looks real. and maybe, idk, talk about this more? because the tech is moving fast and i feel like not enough people realize how insane it’s gotten.
anyway. that’s my little deepfake ramble. if you’ve seen any weird ones lately or have thoughts, drop them in the comments or dm me or something. would love to hear other people’s takes on this. because honestly… i’m still lowkey spiraling.
stay safe out there on the internet, friends.
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