Deepfake Threats

DeepFakes are raising widespread fear among the public. As an illustration, phony videos generated by fraudsters can readily mislead the audience.

Such fraudulent videos might become popular on social media, bringing lasting harm to the victim. A more serious threat occurs when DeepFakes are exploited to generate child pornography or explicit content that is fake.

Humans find it hard to tell the difference between a real video and a DeepFake with their naked eyes. On the surface, DeepFakes are generated using various methods like merging, replacing, and adding photos and video clips to make fake videos look real.

Join me in this article as we discuss the origin of deepfakes, its preventive measures, and other related terms regarding deepfakes.

Origin of Deepfake

Deepfake video generations were originally used for harmless and entertaining reasons like celebrity face swaps or adding faces into films. Interestingly, as technology grew, so did the potential for abuse.

The name originated in 2017 by a Reddit user nicknamed "deepfakes". This person shared deepfakes that they made and others who were part of the Reddit deepfakes community watched them.

Much of the non-pornographic content that was shared had actor Nicolas Cage's face swapped in multiple films.

The name "deepfake" originates from the words "deep learning" and "fake." The system relies on methods that use deep learning, specifically generative adversarial networks (GANs).

GANs are made up of two networks of neurons, a generator, and a filter, that work collectively to produce fake information that resembles the real one. This feat paved the way for the creation of deepfake technology.

What is AI Deepfake?

Deepfake AI is a technology that combines deep learning methods and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to generate truly convincing fake images or videos.

They are purposefully designed to appear real, posing a significant problem for anybody seeking to distinguish between faked content and the original.

Although deepfake technology has exciting uses such as entertainment, voice cloning, and face swapping, it also raises questions about ethics because it has the potential to spread false information, generate fake news, enable fraud, manipulate public opinion, and jeopardize privacy.

How to Protect Yourself from Deepfake Threats

Cybersecurity organizations are always developing new and improved detection systems that analyze video images and detect minor distortions caused by deepfakes. Here are some preventive measures to take.

Discuss with loved ones and colleagues the potential consequences of deep-faking as well as how it works.

Know how to recognize a deepfake and make sure that you use credible news outlets.

Blockchain technology can be used to validate and verify the authenticity of a video or audio file. The greater the number of people who electronically sign a film, the more likely it is to be considered real.

Have a zero-trust approach and act cautiously when trusting anything you come across online. It applies to all new images, videos, and stories.

Develop a solid basic protocol that involves verifying any information before trusting it Although it might not protect you from fraud, it may help you avoid lots of problems.

The Unethical Use of Deepfakes

Widely used in pornographic content. Based on an analyst mentioned in The Washington Post article, fake nudes have risen by more than 290 percent since 2018 on the top ten porn websites that show AI-generated content.

It is anticipated that fake movies will go beyond the celebrity industry and fuel revenge pornography as new technologies allow amateurs to make deepfakes using a small number of images.

Over the past six months, the number of deepfake videos increased exponentially since the study started in December 2018. The unethical usage of deep fakes has caused tremendous effects on its victims

Conclusion

There are said to be thousands of Deepfake videos on the Internet right now. Some are merely for fun, and others seek to influence your views. But given that it requires just a few minutes to create a new Deepfake, that figure might skyrocket very quickly.

Security and creativity must be in harmony. Deepfakes are an intriguing aspect of artificial intelligence, but due to their likelihood of harm, strict laws and awareness among the public are required to ensure authenticity as well as security.