An Expert Review of Deepfake and Video Forensics
1. Introduction: The Rise of Synthetic Deception The proliferation of deepfakes represents a watershed moment in digital media, challenging the very notion of what constitutes authentic content. A deepfake is defined as AI-generated or manipulated media—including images, audio, and video—that is engineered to appear truthful and authentic, often resembling existing individuals, objects, or events. 1 The scope of this threat extends far beyond the more commonly discussed videos to encompass deepfake images, such as the fabricated Pentagon explosion that briefly disrupted the U.S. stock market, and audio, exemplified by the convincing Joe Biden robocall that targeted voters. 1 The emergence of deepfakes is driven not merely by technological advancement but by the increasing accessibility of user-friendly, open-source tools that enable even individuals with basic technical skills to generate sophisticated forgeries. 6 In response to this escalating threat, the discipline of deepfake for...