Most people are unable to tell they are watching a “deepfake” video even when they are informed that the content they are watching has been digitally altered, research suggests.
The term “deepfake” refers to a video where artificial intelligence and deep learning – an algorithmic learning method used to train computers – has been used to make a person appear to say something they have not.
Notable examples of it include a manipulated video of Richard Nixon’s Apollo 11 presidential address and Barack Obama insulting Donald Trump – with some researchers suggesting illicit use of the technology could make it the most dangerous form of crime in the future.
In the first experiment, conducted by researchers from the University of Oxford, Brown University, and the Royal Society, one group of participants watched five unaltered videos, while another watched four unaltered videos and one deepfake – with viewers asked to detect which one is false.
The researchers used videos of Tom Cruise created by VFX artist Chris Ume, which have seen the American actor performing magic…
