Deepfake
Definition
Synthetic or AI-manipulated media in which a person's likeness, voice, or both are generated or substituted using machine learning methods. Detection relies on identifying statistical artefacts left by generative models that differ from authentic capture noise.
- Definition scope
- AI-generated or substituted likeness, voice, or both
- Creation method
- Machine learning generative or face-swap models
- Detection basis
- Statistical artefacts left by generative models
- Contrast
- Differs from authentic sensor capture noise
- Field
- Media authentication
Common questions
How do detection methods distinguish authentic footage from a deepfake without relying on visible glitches?+
Generative models leave subtle statistical signatures in pixel or frequency patterns that differ systematically from the noise profile of a real camera sensor, so detectors trained on these fine-grained artefacts can flag synthetic content even when it looks convincing to the eye.
Does the term deepfake cover audio-only manipulation as well as video?+
Yes, the definition includes synthetic or cloned voice generated by machine learning, not just face-swapped video, so a fabricated audio recording of someone's voice falls within the same category of media requiring authentication.
Related terms
- C2PA (Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity)
- An open technical standard that embeds cryptographically signed provenance assertions into media files at the point of capture or editing. A C2PA...
- Integrity Verification
- The branch of authentication that determines whether a recording's content has been altered after original capture. Methods include metadata consistency checks, compression...
- Photo Response Non-Uniformity (PRNU)
- A fixed-pattern noise component caused by microscopic sensitivity differences between individual sensor pixels. PRNU is deterministic and camera-specific, making it a sensor...
- Source Identification
- The branch of authentication that determines whether a recording originates from a claimed device, person, or system. Methods include Photo Response Non-Uniformity...
- Steganography
- Concealing one file inside another in a way that hides the existence of the hidden file. LSB image manipulation, JPEG DCT coefficient...