Conversations around deepfakes and disinformation campaigns are heating up, especially in the lead up to this year’s U.S. election. Put simply, deepfakes are AI-generated fake videos or audio recordings that look and sound like the real thing. They leverage powerful techniques from machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) called deep learning to manipulate or create visual and audio content in order to deceive people.
During an election season, this could create chaos among voters. Cybercriminals could, for example, use deepfakes to create fake news and swap out the messages delivered by trusted voices like government officials or journalists to trick them into believing something that isn’t real. In fact, an overwhelming 76% of IT leaders believe deepfakes will be used as part of disinformation campaigns in the election.