The Increasing Threat of Deepfakes and AI Images – And How You Can Spot Them

At the beginning of the war in Gaza, an image popped up of a Palestinian father carrying his children out of the rubble. While the picture was shared tens of thousands of times on social media and broke people’s hearts, there was only one problem: It was completely fake.

But how did the truth come out? The dad’s arm was misshapen, one of the child’s toes was not clearly defined, and another child was wearing a shirt that blended into the father’s sleeve.

To experts, this was unmistakable, but most don't have the expertise to notice the subtleties. Still, the damage was done on social media, as many people who shared it never realized it was fake – or they didn’t care to correct themselves because it fit into their anti-Israel narrative.

Is this photo real or AI?

Another troubling event happened this past February, when audio leaked of London Mayor Sadiq Khan disparaging Remembrance Weekend and urging people to participate in pro-Palestinian marches. When the truth emerged, it turned out it was a deepfake created by AI. The mayor never said this; and he told reporters that if it had gone viral and people believed it, it could have caused serious problems.

We live in a time when misinformation spreads quickly. As AI becomes more sophisticated, we also have to be vigilant about deciding what we share with friends and family and post online – especially when Israel is at war.

To combat Jew hatred during the Gaza War, we need to be cautious regarding what we post. It all starts with learning more about deepfakes and AI.

What Are Deepfakes and AI Images?

Deepfake videos and AI images are created by advanced software programs that collect audio and video recordings of a politician, celebrity, or other public figure. They learn from these files how to replicate fake versions of these people doing and saying things they never did.

A deepfake could fabricate a video of a president telling people to vote a certain way or show an image of a war crime that never happened.

Deepfakes have been used for nefarious purposes – for example, to show celebrities selling products they never endorsed or to fabricate the voice of President Biden as a robocall telling New Hampshire primary voters to not vote.

Think of the damage fake images can cause. Countries could go to war, individuals could boycott businesses, and rumors could cause a run on the banks.

How Can You Spot Deepfakes and AI Images?

Right now, AI is in its infancy. An expert can identify strange shadows, unnatural body language, unnatural hair movement, the use of certain backgrounds and the lowering of resolution and frame rate to mask image imperfections. Accessories like necklaces, bracelets, watches, and rings are often warped or blurred.

If you notice sound doesn’t match up to the way a person’s mouth moves, you might be watching a deepfake. And, because the most readily accessible technology is not yet advanced enough, deepfakes only show an individual’s head and shoulders. Of course, all this could change very quickly as technology improves.

Tools like Deepware and Is It AI? allow you to determine if your images are real or fake. Additionally, you can do a Reverse Image Search to see if an image is being used in a different context than intended.

For example, during the Israel-Gaza war, an image circulated of children that were allegedly killed by Israeli forces; it turned out to be children that were killed by Arabs during the war in Syria in 2013. A simple Reverse Image Search could have stopped this misinformation from spreading.

Becoming Aware of Fake News

AI will continue to get smarter and smarter, and we need to stay one step ahead. Thankfully, many companies are now working on detection tools, and we have journalists who are aiming to combat these new forms of misinformation.

During this war on truth – and especially during the Israel-Gaza War – it’s critical to be aware of these threats. Keep up with the news surrounding AI – and always take a pause before posting.

David Notowitz is president and founder of the National Center for Audio and Video Forensics (NCAVF), which provides audio, video and phone forensic services to trial attorneys.