There has been a lot of discussion lately about deepfake technology and its dangers to society. Here we will look at the details that can help us understand if a video or image is a deepfake.
During this crucial election year for several countries around the world, misinformation has become even more prevalent on social media. Experts are warning of the threat of deepfakes, which are fake videos, images and audio clips created with artificial intelligence tools that impersonate well-known figures in an attempt to deceive the public. Often, fraudsters create deepfakes that imitate well-known political figures and try to mislead voters and influence the results.
Artificial intelligence (AI) uses a technique known as Deep Learning to create Deepfakes. This technique trains AI models to recognize and copy patterns in data, such as people's faces.
Fortunately, technology creates realistic images and videos, but they are not perfect. The content created may contain imperfections or inconsistencies that can reveal that it is a fraud. Let's look at these details that help us understand that it is a Deepfake.
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Strange marks/movements around the mouth or chin
In deepfake videos, the area around the mouth can be the most vulnerable spot. There may be fewer wrinkles in the skin, less detail around the mouth. The chin may appear blurry or smudged. Poor synchronization between voice and mouth movement is another important clue.
Also, notice if shadows fall in the correct position on the face or if lines and wrinkles on a face move when they should.
Strange elements of speech
Deepfake videos often contain grammatical or syntactical errors that you wouldn't expect in a formal speech by a politician. The fraudsters use text-to-audio tools and don't notice that some things don't sound right in spoken language. Also, some words may sound strange or the voice may seem more robotic, monotonous, without any change in tone or tension.
See also: Deepfake scams have cost companies millions
Coherence between face and body
Observe if the head is the correct size based on the rest of the body and check for possible differences in the skin color of the neck and face.
Discontinuity throughout the video clip
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If you see things suddenly changing in a video, something is wrong. For example, in a recent video of the US State Department spokesman, his tie and shirt changed color. Also, look to see if everything looks good in the surrounding area (e.g. crooked walls, floors, furniture, etc.).
Extra fingers, hands, limbs
To tell if something is a deepfake, look for extra fingers, toes, hands, or strangely shaped limbs in still images. We've seen extra fingers in many edited photos of celebrities, and this is often the case in deepfakes. In most cases, the emphasis is on the face and other details are overlooked.
Letters and numbers
Image creation tools have difficulty reproducing numbers and text. They often produce garbled or illegible text and numbers. So, look for such elements in the video or image. It will help you figure out if it is a deepfake.
See also: Deepfake: How does it work and how to detect fake content?
Poor video editing
Some videos are so amateurish that it's easy to spot the fraud. Known as "cheapfakes," these use simple video and the result is pretty bad.
These are some things you can look for in a video or image to tell if it's a deepfake. Unfortunately, with the advancement of technology, we can expect to see an increase in fake content.
Source: www.theguardian.com
