First Rashmika Mandanna, then Katrina Kaif. The two actors’ AI-generated morphed videos created a stir last week, highlighting the urgent need to end the misuse of deepfake technology and prompting calls for better ways to identify it.
As the Delhi Police on Friday registered an FIR against unidentified persons in connection with Mandanna’s deepfake video, Amitabh Bachchan and Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar, among others, expressed concern. The government intervened by notifying major social media companies to identify misinformation, deepfakes and other content that violates the rules and remove it within 36 hours of reporting it.
Click here to follow our WhatsApp channel
The debate, against the backdrop of the conflict between Israel and Hamas, which has seen an upsurge in the use of deepfake videos to spread disinformation and manipulate public opinion, has also raised many questions.
WHAT ARE DEEPFAKE VIDEOS?
Deepfake videos are synthetic media in which a person in an existing image or video is replaced with someone else’s image. Although this technology has been around for several years, it has recently become increasingly sophisticated and accessible, raising concerns about its possible misuse.
WHAT CAN WE DO?
One way to combat the spread of deepfakes is to educate the public about the technology and how to identify fakes.
“Much more than expertise or technical ability, there is a mindset that we need to encourage. People need to be aware that the creation of counterfeits is rampant and is becoming easier and easier., Eoghan Sweeney, specialist Open Source Investigations (OSINT) and trainer, told PTI.
This is why, in a tense atmosphere like the one that exists around a scenario like this, it is crucial to be aware that much of the information and content that reaches your attention is not authentic.” , he added.
A FEW TIPS:
Several tools and techniques can be used to detect deepfakes, such as looking for inconsistencies in facial expressions, skin texture, and lighting. However, deepfakes are becoming more sophisticated, making them more difficult to detect.
Look for signs that suggest videos shared on social media might be fake photos or AI-generated visuals.
-AI-generated text can sometimes be grammatically incorrect or have strange wording. This is because AI systems are trained on large text data sets, which sometimes contain only perfect grammar or natural language usage.
–AI-generated text can sometimes go off on tangents or introduce new information unrelated to the main topic. This is because AI systems do not always understand the context of the text they generate.
–AI-generated photos and videos may sometimes have special lighting, facial gestures, or backgrounds. This is because AI systems are not always capable of accurately generating realistic images and videos.
–AI-generated videos are often created by stitching together different clips, so there may be inconsistencies in lighting, shadows, or background. The subject’s skin tone may change from one shot to the next or the shadows may be in different directions.
–AI-generated videos may have difficulty accurately rendering human movements, so there may be strange or unnatural movements in the video. The face of the person(s) in the video may twist or their limbs may move strangely.
–AI-generated videos are often of poor quality, especially if they are created using a free or low-cost AI video generator. Check for pixelation, blurring, or other video artifacts.
–AI video generation technology is constantly improving, so it’s important to know the latest techniques. You can do this by reading articles and blogs on AI video generation or by following experts on social media.
Identify the source of the information: where does the misinformation come from? Who posted it? What are their references?
Check the information. Check the facts and see if there is any evidence to support this claim. If you can’t find any evidence to support this claim, it’s probably false.
Once you have verified that the misinformation is false, explain why it is incorrect in a clear and concise manner. Be sure to provide evidence to support your claims. It is necessary to break the chain of misinformation from your side.
“The way social media algorithms and human psychology work, it’s unlikely that it’s the most credible material that catches your eye most easily, but rather the one that grabs the most attention, often because it is dramatic and outrageous. Needless to say, dedicated purveyors of disinformation use techniques that elicit such reactions. So, in terms of winning the battle for minds and eyeballs, the cards are stacked.” Sweeney told PTI.
The Berlin-based OSINT specialist suggested people take a step back and ask themselves a few questions before trying to forensically evaluate photographs and videos.
*Why might this be shared at this time?
* What response is this trying to provoke in me and others?
* How likely am I to accept this, given my existing sympathies, and how does this play into them?
(You can contact PTI Fact Check on WhatsApp number +91-8130503759 for any complaints or social media posts that need to be verified or verified).
