Deepfake – How to Recognize, Avoid and Use It

What is deepfake? Imagine seeing a video where your favorite actor gives you personal greetings. Or a recording where a politician admits to things that never happened. Sounds like magic? No, this is deepfake technology, which can fool even the most discerning eye. In this article, we'll show you how to recognize deepfakes, how to avoid related threats, and how to creatively use their potential. Ready to learn fascinating, and sometimes quite disturbing facts about deepfakes and AI? Let's dive in.

Deepfake – what is it?

To better understand what a deepfake is, imagine advanced technology that can transfer one person's face onto another person's body, change voices, or create completely new, realistic images and videos. All this is possible thanks to artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning methods. These algorithms analyze huge amounts of data, such as photos, video recordings, or voice, and learn to mimic human behaviors with remarkable precision. Deepfake is based on generative models, such as GANs (Generative Adversarial Networks). A GAN is a system of two algorithms – one creates fake content, and the other tries to recognize it. Thanks to this "competition," deepfakes become increasingly realistic, as the generator gets better at fooling the detector. As a result, we get images or videos that are difficult to distinguish from real ones. Feeling encouraged to delve deeper into this topic? You can find a whole chapter dedicated to deepfakes in the book Social Engineering Through the Eyes of a Detective - Attack and Defense by Dawid Kuciel.

Deepfake – examples

If an algorithm "learns" your face from social media photos, it can use this data to insert your face into a video you never participated in. Moreover, deepfake technology allows for voice manipulation, which means someone can create a recording where you say something you never actually said!

You can see a perfect example of deepfake on YouTube in the video Simon Cowell Show Incredible Voice on AGT, where this technology was presented in an entertaining and humorous context on America's Got Talent (AGT). The material shows a deepfake that seemingly transforms the famous judge Simon Cowell into a singing artist! The video is an excellent example of how deepfakes can provide entertainment while demonstrating how realistic the visual and audio effects generated by artificial intelligence can be.

Deepfake – how to create it?

Creating deepfakes is technically possible for people who have access to appropriate:

• software,

• hardware

• and of course the necessary data.

However, it's important to remember that creating deepfakes for unethical or illegal purposes, such as fraud, privacy violations, or spreading false information, is against the law and can lead to serious legal consequences, which we discuss further in this post.

However, if you're interested in how to create a deepfake for purely:

• educational,

• research

• or artistic purposes,

then you first need to use the right tools. These will allow you to manipulate images and sound in a way that makes faces or characters look and behave in a manner that's still somewhat unnatural but realistic. The entire process requires taking several important steps and having the right equipment.

To start, you need high-quality input data – videos or photos of the person whose face is to be "taken over". The algorithms used to create deepfakes analyze these materials to learn facial details, such as the shape of eyes, mouth, facial muscle movements, and expressions. Then, using algorithms like Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) or autoencoders, the face of the person being inserted into the video is changed to look and move according to the base video. Huge datasets are used to learn to mimic facial details and body behaviors.

Additionally, to create a deepfake, you need appropriate computer hardware – usually computers with high-end graphics cards (GPUs) that enable processing large amounts of data in a short time. You will also need the right programs and software, such as DeepFaceLab, Faceswap, or Reface, which provide ready-made tools for creating and editing videos. You can also search online for sites using phrases like free deepfake generator. One example is hoodem.com.

Audio processing will also be an important aspect, as deepfake videos often contain audio. This requires synchronizing the sound with the mouth movements of the face, which can be difficult, as deepfakes can go beyond simple image manipulation. Sound can be edited using speech synthesizer technologies that adapt the voice to the selected material. As for online deepfake voice generators, you can find websites such as Speechify or Wavel AI.

Is deepfake legal?

The legality of deepfakes boils down to one very important issue: the purpose and context of its use. If it's art, technological experiments, or fun within reasonable limits, there's nothing wrong with that. But if the tool becomes a weapon that strikes at human privacy, dignity, or security, then we enter the realm of sanctions, lawsuits, and social condemnation. As with any invention – everything depends on who is at the helm and why. Deepfakes can easily spiral out of control and head down paths far from honesty. Just look at cases where compromising video materials are created without the consent of the people who appear in them. Virtual "clones" of politicians making shocking statements that were never made, or fake calls for bank transfers from the "boss" – these are the dark sides of this technology. When deepfake becomes a tool for fraud, disinformation, or reputation destruction, it crosses the boundary not only of morality but also of law.

What are the consequences of creating deepfakes?

Various legal consequences threaten the illegal use of deepfake technology. If deepfakes are used to create false evidence in court cases, the responsible person may face legal consequences, including charges of document forgery. In cases where deepfakes are used to defame or blackmail people, perpetrators may be charged with privacy violations, which can result in high fines or imprisonment. It's also worth being aware that not only creating but also distributing deepfake materials that violate the image of public figures can lead to civil lawsuits where victims can claim compensation. Interestingly, in the European Union, numerous initiatives are already being undertaken to counter disinformation, including regulating the use of deepfake technology, especially in the context of elections or politics.

How to recognize deepfakes?

This can sometimes be a proverbial tough nut to crack, because recognizing the use of deepfake technology really requires vigilance and observation. Pay attention to unnatural facial movements, which may seem too rigid or awkward. Facial expressions sometimes don't quite match the emotional context of the situation, and mouth movements may be inconsistent with the words being spoken. Artificial intelligence finds it particularly difficult to reproduce details such as blinking or eye movements, which may appear unrealistic.

Also, stay alert to unnatural lighting – shadows on the face or its texture may look strange, as if they weren't part of the whole image. Sound is another important element – if the voice doesn't perfectly match the image, sounds mechanical, or doesn't reflect natural intonation, this may be a sign that we're dealing with manipulation.

When watching material, ask yourself whether what you see seems credible in a technical and emotional context. Even the most advanced deepfakes can leave subtle "traces" – in the form of small errors that humans can detect. If you still have doubts, reach for available verification tools that analyze video content for irregularities, such as Microsoft Video Authenticator, which we'll mention again below. It's also worth paying attention to the source of the material – if it comes from an unreliable or anonymous platform, the risk of manipulation increases.

Deepfake technology – how to use it creatively?

Deepfake technology, although mainly associated with manipulation and threats, holds enormous potential. Imagine an exhibition in a gallery where Vincent van Gogh talks about his paintings, looking at us from behind the frame of his self-portrait. Or a documentary where Queen Elizabeth I speaks to contemporary Britons as if time had ceased to matter. Even marketing would gain a completely new face – movie stars encouraging product purchases in such a personalized way that you feel as if they're speaking only to you. Deepfake, instead of being a tool of chaos, could become the key to a new era of visual narrative, if only we use it wisely, and perhaps with a bit of heart.

How to protect yourself from deepfakes?

First of all, it's worth starting with the basics: just as a password generator helps create strong, unique passwords that make it difficult to break into our accounts, in the case of deepfakes, we need to take care of securing our image and data. One way is to be careful when sharing photos and videos on the Internet. The more materials that can be used to create a deepfake, the greater the risk that someone might use our data for manipulation. By limiting access to our photos and videos, both on social media and other platforms, we can reduce the possibility of their unauthorized use. Today, it's not difficult to take over someone's social media account, so it's worth using additional security measures such as Yubikey keys. It's also worth looking into programs like Sensity, which can be used to detect face swapping or to catch manipulated audio and AI-generated images. The technology giant from Redmond is also joining the fight against the detection of artificially processed materials. Microsoft Video Authenticator supports efforts against disinformation by analyzing photos and videos for subtle changes introduced by artificial intelligence, invisible to the human eye.

Also check out a popular blog post on Sapsan, where we explain what cybersecurity is all about.