Spotting and Identifying Deepfakes
Deepfakes are on the rise. Defined by Merriam-Webster as “an image or recording that has been convincingly altered and manipulated to misrepresent someone as doing or saying something that was not actually done or said,” they have emerged as a threat in the ongoing fight against misinformation online.
Believe it or not, this is not the actor Morgan Freeman—and he’ll even tell you himself.
“Deepfakes and related AI-generated fake content arrive at a highly vulnerable time for both the United States and the broader international community,” wrote Todd C. Helmus, a senior behavioral scientist at the RAND Corporation and expert on disinformation and violent extremism, in a 2021 paper. He notes that while concerns that a deepfake video would “upend” the 2020 presidential election did not materialize, this does not mean that deepfakes won’t post a threat in the future.
Deepfakes do require skills, time, and money to create the false world they present as true. However, technological advancements could make deepfakes much easier to create—particularly on mobile devices.
Journalists must stay ahead of the curve by learning how to identify deepfakes. It’s worth going over what the best ways to do so are.
PAY ATTENTION TO THE EYES AND EYEBROWS
Unnatural eye movements or a lack of blinking can indicate a deepfake, as it's challenging to mimic natural blinking and eye movements accurately.
PAY ATTENTION TO FACIAL HAIR OR LACK THEREOF
Does it look genuine? Deepfakes may add or remove facial hair such as mustaches, beards, or sideburns. However, they may fail to make these transformations seem completely natural.
PAY ATTENTION TO LIP MOVEMENTS
Some Deepfakes rely on lip syncing, so it's essential to ensure that the lip movements appear natural.
LOOK OUT FOR STRANGE BODY SHAPES OR MOVEMENTS
Watch out for strange body movements or shapes, such as choppy or disconnected movements or distorted body shapes when someone turns or moves. Pay attention to facial movements as well, such as a lack of emotion or facial morphing.
Because deepfake technology typically concentrates on facial features rather than on the entire body, this is one of the simpler anomalies to detect.
PAY ATTENTION TO MISMATCHES IN COLOR AND LIGHTING
Strange skin tones, stains, odd lighting, or weirdly placed shadows may indicate that the video is fake. Comparing the video to an original reference can help you spot any discrepancies.
LISTEN FOR POOR AUDIO QUALITY
Another thing to consider is the audio quality. Deepfake creators often prioritize the visuals over the sound. Poor lip-syncing, robotic voices, digital background noise, or a complete lack of audio can indicate that the video is fake.
Alan Herrera is the Editorial Supervisor for the Association of Foreign Press Correspondents (AFPC-USA), where he oversees the organization’s media platform, foreignpress.org. He previously served as AFPC-USA’s General Secretary from 2019 to 2021 and as its Treasurer until early 2022.
Alan is an editor and reporter who has worked on interviews with such individuals as former White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci; Maria Fernanda Espinosa, the former President of the United Nations General Assembly; and Mariangela Zappia, the former Permanent Representative to Italy for the U.N. and current Italian Ambassador to the United States.
Alan has spent his career managing teams as well as commissioning, writing, and editing pieces on subjects like sustainable trade, financial markets, climate change, artificial intelligence, threats to the global information environment, and domestic and international politics. Alan began his career writing film criticism for fun and later worked as the Editor on the content team for Star Trek actor and activist George Takei, where he oversaw the writing team and championed progressive policy initatives, with a particular focus on LGBTQ+ rights advocacy.