DeepFakes an Emerging Threat

Tracie Wall

tw041219@ohio.edu 

 

 

Technology

The improvement of technology happens at such a rapid rate, most of us are swallowed by the vortex of constant change. Until recently, technology was supposed to make our lives better, help us be more productive, and efficient - so we can get back to what matters most.. our lives. 

With the emergence of the deepfake technology, I believe that most of us are questioning how long this has been around, what would make people use this technology in this manner, and how can we detect when it is being used. 

What is a deepfake? 

As defined by Merriam-Webster "The term deepfake is typically used to refer to a video that has been edited using an algorithm to replace the person in the original video with someone else (especially a public figure) in a way that makes the video look authentic." This is a worrisome phenomenon that has gradually gained traction since 2018. 

What is the purpose?

Individuals indulge in this technology to spread misinformation, and to influence an audience to believe that a specific event, conversation, or interaction happened when it truly did not. The largest use of the deepfake technology is used in pornography, using face-replacement mapping to replace the actual people in the video with celebrities. The second largest use of deepfake technology is politics according to Guardian.

 So, how do we spot a deepfake? 

Here are 15 things you can look for when trying to decide if a video is a deep fake (provided by Norton): 

1. Unnatural eye movement
2. Unnatural facial expressions
3. Awkward facial-feature positioning
4. A lack of emotion
5. Awkward-looking body posture
6. Unnatural body movement
7. Unnatural coloring
8. Hair that doesn't look real
9. Teeth that do not look real
10. Blurring or misalignment
11. Inconsistent noise or audio
12. Images that look unnatural when slowed down
13. Hashtag discrepancies
14. Digital fingerprints
15. Reverse image searches

Considering the list above, determining if a video is a deep fake comes from the details. Pay close attention to movements, and if you think it looks suspicious it probably is. If you think it looks like a legitimate video, do a cross reference search and find other stories on the same topic. If what you find is not cohesive you've most likely found a deepfake. 

What are we doing about it? 

The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is funding research to develop automated screening of deepfake technology. (Norton). The largest issue with the deepfake technology is that it is getting better everyday, with every video. While I can presume that the technology will only get better, it is more important now, than ever, to take steps to not be fooled.