What are deepfakes and how can you detect them?

• A. They are simply altered photos.
• B. They are realistic but can be detected by inconsistencies and metadata.
• C. They are impossible to detect.
• D. Highly realistic manipulated media; detect by inconsistencies, metadata, source verification, and technical tools.

Answer: (D)

Deepfakes are highly realistic manipulated media created with AI to imitate a real person’s face, voice, or both. Because they can look and sound convincing, you can’t rely on intuition alone; detection relies on a mix of signs and tools. Look for inconsistencies in the media itself, such as unusual lip-sync, odd blinking, lighting or shadows that don’t match across frames, or facial movements that don’t align with speech. Check metadata and editing history for traces of manipulation, and verify the source and provenance to see if the clip comes from a credible outlet or verifiable original. Use technical forensic tools that analyze artifacts left by synthesis processes. Together, these signals help you judge authenticity, rather than assuming a clip is real or dismissing detection as impossible.