For years, children have been told not to believe everything they see online – but we may need to now extend this lesson to adults.
That’s because we are in the midst of a ‘deepfake‘ surge, where artificial intelligence (AI) is being used to manipulate videos and audio in a way that replicates real life.
From an ultra-realistic video of Margot Robbie scrubbing the floor to an unsettling video of Vladimir Putin, several uncanny deepfake videos have hit the headlines in recent years.
But how can you tell that all is not as it seems with these videos?
Experts have revealed the six key signs that indicate a video is a deepfake – and say you should always pay close attention to the ears.
The term ‘deepfake’ has been used for the last five years, although definitions still vary.
Full Fact, the UK’s independent fact checking organisation, defines deepfakes as ‘video or audio that has been created using AI tools to at least semi-successfully mimic the face or voice of a public figure.’
With deepfakes becoming more and more widespread by the day, Full Fact has released a new guide on how to spot deepfake videos.
‘As technology progresses, there’s no doubt that AI-generated deepfakes are becoming an increasingly common phenomenon on social media and elsewhere online—blurring the line between fiction and reality,’ said Chris Morris, CEO of Full Fact.
‘Even when there’s no evidence that such clips are genuine, it can be hard to be certain whether they are AI-generated, edited in some other way, or created by an impersonator.’
According to the team, there are six key signs that a video is a deepfake.
1. Check the face shape (and the ears)
One of the easiest ways to tell that a video is a deepfake is by checking the face shape.
In an interview on the YouTube channel Corridor Crew, AI artist Chris Ume said: ‘The shape of the face is always a giveaway.
One of the easiest ways to tell that a video is a deepfake is by checking the face shape – and the ears
‘In a lot of cases, their measurements are not perfect.
The best thing is just to hold a picture next to it, or a few pictures, and start comparing.’
In particular, Mr Ume says that you should pay close attention to the ears, which are difficult for artists to fake.
2. Can you find the original footage?
If you can’t spot any issues with the face shape, Full Fact next recommends checking if you can find the original footage.
You can do this by searching keywords on platforms like Google, YouTube and TikTok.
However, if the video doesn’t have any defining features to search for, Full Fact recommends doing a reverse image seach using screenshots of key parts of the video.
3. Scrutinise expressions and mannerisms
If the video features a celebrity or public figure, see if you can spot any of their particular mannerisms.
Professor Hany Farid, a photo forensics expert at the University of California, Berkeley, calls these ‘soft biometrics’.
In a video posted to YouTube, he gives the example of former US president Barack Obama’s head lift and slight frown as he said ‘Hi everybody’ in his weekly addresses.
Experts have revealed the six key signs that indicate a video is a deepfake – and say you should always pay close attention to the ears
If the video features a celebrity of public figure, try to see if you can spot any of their particular mannerisms. Pictured: Former US President Barack Obama
4. Are the eyes aligned?
Deepfakes often have issues with the alignment of the eyes, according to Mr Ume.
‘Only in still frames can you detect those [discrepancies],’ he said.
To check the alignment of the eyes, pause the video a few times and check whether the eyes are looking in the same direction.
5. Look for visual glitches
Deepfake videos may look convincing when the person is facing the camera, but the technology may slip up when they turn to the side, according to Full Fact.
‘You may be able to spot such glitches if you slow down the footage,’ Full Fact said.
‘This will make it easier to notice any points where the technology fails to perfectly match the AI-generated face over the real part of the video.’
Deepfake videos may look convincing when the person is facing the camera, but the technology may slip up when they turn to the side, according to Full Fact
6. Does the voice correctly sync with the video?
Finally, Full Fact recommends analysing the ‘visemes’ – the broad positions of the mouth when you make different letter sounds.
‘There’s a certain shape that your mouth makes when you make certain sounds,’ Professor Harid said.
‘And we hypothesised after looking a lot at some of the very good lip-sync deepfakes… that sometimes these phoneys’ viseme-matching aren’t quite right.’
If you slow down a deepfake video, you might be able to notice the mouth making the wrong shape to match with the audio.
According to Professor Farid, about a third of deepfake videos have a mismatch between an M, B, or P sound.