Artificial Intelligence has grown a lot in recent years. With more and more research work being done, there are new technologies that are being introduced every day.
This is where deepfakes come in. Deepfake technology is essentially a way to alter videos and other media content to spread false information.
ExpressVPN revealed that people are gradually starting to experience false memories due to the misinformation that is being fed to people.
According to the blog post, the dangers of AI-generated deepfakes are quite substantial and are a modern way to sway people’s opinions on certain matters.
For example, a video of Barack Obama calling then-president Donald Trump a bad name became viral when it was, in fact, a deepfake.
What Is A Deepfake
Deepfakes are a way to create real-looking media with the help of AI technology.
However, the emergence of this technology has essentially increased the Mandela effect among people.
The Mandela effect is a psychological phenomenon discovered by Fiona Broome, who, with many others, reported having memories of the news coverage of Nelson Mandela’s death in prison.
In reality, Nelson Mandela did not die in prison and served as a President of South Africa.
There are many examples of the Mandela effect, where many people misremember the lyrics of certain songs and quotes from movies or real-life events that might have never happened.
Similarly, deepfakes can also create false memories of events that never happened.
How Deepfakes Can Impact Businesses
It is important to learn how to spot a deepfake, but it is far more important to understand the dangers of deepfakes.
Not many people are aware that the content they consume on the internet can not only be altered but can be constructed in such a way that it can paint a completely different picture of certain events.
Deepfakes can impact businesses as they are mostly used with malicious intentions.
Not only is the technology used for creating fake news stories, but it can also help influence public opinion over political matters easily.
Additionally, deepfakes can also be used to drive propaganda campaigns, and they can even be used to alter historical footage.
With almost every person using social media to a certain extent, deepfakes are essentially a ticking time bomb.
Not only can creators use it to manipulate certain content, but the technology can also alter facts and sway people in certain ways.
Businesses can be impacted by the technology if someone chooses to use this technology to spread misinformation.
It is difficult for a normal internet user to discern the difference between an original video and a deepfake.
So awareness campaigns regarding the matter must be started. Internet users must be taught about the dangers of deepfake and how to spot them.
So the next time you watch a video, be on the lookout to see whether it is a deepfake or not.
How To Spot A Deepfake
Not many users know this, but it is easy to spot deepfakes if you know what to look for. Even though deepfake technology is quite good, it has its flaws.
Since deepfake is usually used on videos, there is no guaranteed way to ensure that there will not be certain issues while overlaying an element over the video. Here’s how you can spot a deepfake easily.
Firstly, viewers must keep in mind that deepfake videos have an overlay over a 3D and moving element, so chances are that there will be some unnatural disfigurations or transformations within the video.
If you look closely when the object suddenly turns or moves, chances are you will notice minuscule inconsistencies quite easily.
Similarly, deepfake videos may have an unnatural audio quality due to being altered digitally.
So if viewers listen closely, they can find certain awkward and unnatural phrases.
Additionally, deepfakes are not able to perfectly imitate body movements, so any stiff and awkward body movements within a video can be a dead giveaway that it is a deepfake.
Another thing to look out for is eye and lip movements. People’s natural eye and lip movements are usually quite unique and change slightly based on their expressions.
However, it will be difficult to create the same effect with deepfake technology. So if the eye and lip movements are looking unnatural to you, chances are it is a deepfake.
The lighting of the video is also equally important, as most deepfake videos have inconsistent lighting on the object, which is quite hard to notice until observed closely.
Conclusion
Deepfakes are a great example of technological advancement. However, they are exactly why humanity should be aware of certain technological advancements.
Deepfake technology is heavily used for malicious reasons and can impact business in a drastic way.
Not only is the technology dangerous to businesses, but it can also affect a whole generation by feeding them false information.
