tech

I've studied deepfakes for 2 decades. AI is making it nearly impossible for you to know what's real.

Hany Farid, a digital forensics expert, said ordinary people can no longer reliably discern between real content and AI-generated content.

I've studied deepfakes for 2 decades. AI is making it nearly impossible for you to know what's real.

TL;DR

  • Human senses are insufficient to reliably detect AI-generated fake content.
  • Digital forensics has evolved from a niche field to a critical necessity as AI manipulation has become easier and more sophisticated.
  • Early digital fakes had detectable artifacts, but AI can now create visually indistinguishable content.
  • Detecting fakes is possible with computational tools, but takes time, often making the verification process too slow for the rapid spread of online content.
  • The proliferation of convincing AI-generated content risks eroding society's shared sense of reality, which is fundamental for democracy.