The explosion of artificial intelligence brings with it concerns about being duped by this new and ever-evolving technology. From celebrities to politicians to corporate America to the enthusiastic Instagram user, deepfake videos are everywhere. So, how do we differentiate when that incredible video is actually a newly discovered creature swimming in the depths of the ocean floor from when we’re being tricked? Fortunately, there are few ways to do just that.
Real Deepfakes
Deepfake videos trick us into believing what we see is real when it’s not. Generative AI (GenAI) is the technology producing deepfakes, whether it’s voice or video. OpenAI is the company behind GenAI and another familiar AI tool, ChatGPT, the conversation chatbot. Although OpenAI restricts access to their tools, cybercriminals can buy knockoff AI tools on the dark web.
Reports of crimes committed using deepfake videos are growing, with one involving a multinational corporation financial scam. An employee on a Zoom call with coworkers and the CFO, was told to wire $25 million to an account. What was realized too late is the account belonged to a cybercriminal, and those on the Zoom call were all deepfakes.
Spotting A Deepfake Video
A turn of the head…Currently, the deepfake video technology allows only flat images and not in 3D. If you suspect a deepfake, ask the person to turn their head side to side. If the image stays flat, it’s a deepfake.
Prove it…Ask the person on the screen for “proof of life” meaning, ask to see something like a newspaper, company report, or ID badge. If they can’t fulfill your request, it’s a deepfake.
Say that again…Ask the person to repeat something they just said, while you look closely at whether their lip movements match their voice. If the audio and video don’t sync properly, it’s a deepfake.
It’s believed we’ll be seeing a lot more deepfake crimes and they’ll keep getting trickier. At the moment, barely a 30-second clip of a person speaking makes a convincing deepfake. Since “seeing is believing” is no longer a guaranteed truth, it’s now up to us to verify if we can believe what we see.
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