This may sound like the plot of some sci-fi movie, but it is actually very real.

In 2021, millions of TikTok users watched “Tom Cruise” perform magic tricks, tell stories, and swing a golf club, all seemingly real. Except for one thing. 

It wasn’t Tom Cruise at all. 

It was a deepfake video, created by AI and Chris Ume (a special effects artist) to look and sound like the world-famous A-list actor. 

Deepfake technology is no longer a curiosity or an “imagine if” scenario. It’s here, it’s real, it’s dangerous, and it’s changing industries, while triggering serious ethical questions and forcing us to rethink everything we see online.

That’s why, understanding deepfake technology, its uses, and how to detect this prominent form of misinformation is very important in 2025 (and beyond). 

As deepfakes continue to shake our illusion of what’s real, and what isn’t on the internet, the big question is: how can we separate fact from fiction?

What Is Deepfake Technology? 

Deepfake technology is AI-powered software that creates real-looking but fraudulent videos, images, and voices. It uses machine learning to manipulate digital content, blurring the lines of digital reality.

How It Works:

Deepfakes rely on the following AI techniques to replicate human features with shocking accuracy:

• Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs): Think of two AI systems playing a game: one creates fake content, and the other tests it to make it more convincing.

• Autoencoders: AI studies and reconstructs faces, voices, and movements to fine-tune deepfake realism.

• Voice Synthesis & Neural Networks: AI analyzes and mimics voices to make people say things they never actually said.

Examples You Might Have Already Seen:

• Celebrity Deepfake Videos: Fake clips of celebrities, politicians, or public figures doing and saying things that actually never happened. 

• Fake AI-Generated Speeches: Public figures "saying" words they never spoke, designed to manipulate, mislead, or entertain.

• AI-Generated Influencers: Digital personalities that look, talk, and interact like real people but don’t actually exist at all (like a complete fake Instagram persona). 

What Can Deepfake Technology Be Used For? (The Good Side)

It’s not all bad when it comes to deepfakes. There are some positives to this emerging tech as a variety of industries are using them for beneficial reasons.

Here are a few of the most notable industries that are using deepfake for good:

1. Entertainment & Film

• De-aging actors: Robert De Niro was de-aged in The Irishman using AI. Similarly, a younger Luke Skywalker was brought back in The Mandalorian.

• Reviving historical figures: Documentaries use deepfakes to recreate the voices and speeches of notable figures from our past. 

• AI-powered dubbing: Major production studios (Netflix being one) are using AI to sync lip movements in different languages, making global content feel more authentic.

2. E-Commerce & Marketing

• Virtual try-ons: AI lets you see how clothes, sunglasses, or makeup look on you before you buy.

• AI-generated influencers: Digital personalities (like Lil Miquela and her 2.4 million followers) promote brands on social media without existing in real life. (But she’s transparent about being a deepfake)

• Personalized video ads: Deepfake AI customizes brand messages, making ads feel personal and engaging.

3. Education & Corporate Training

• AI-generated teachers: Language learning apps use AI tutors to teach in any language.

• Bringing history to life: AI recreates historical figures, making lessons more immersive.

• Corporate training simulations: Major companies and brands (like Walmart, for example) use AI-powered deepfake employees to make training more realistic.

4. Cybersecurity & Fraud Prevention

• Training security teams: Governments use fake deepfakes to help, and train, law enforcement spot real threats.

• Fraud detection tools: AI helps detect deepfake financial scams and voice cloning fraud before they cause damage.

The Dark Side of Deepfakes: How This New Tech is Being Weaponized

Fraud, misinformation, and identity theft are the most unfortunate uses of deepfakes. These are examples of where deepfakes are being used most maliciously:

1. Fraud & Financial Scams

• CEO fraud: Scammers are cloning executives' voices to trick employees into wiring money to criminals and fraudulent accounts.

• Fake customer service calls: AI-generated voices impersonate banks or tech support, stealing personal data from everyday civilians. 

• AI ransom videos: Criminals create fake hostage videos to extort money from families

2. Misinformation & Political Manipulation

• Fake political videos: AI-generated clips spread false news and propaganda, misleading voters, and creating socio-political division. 

• The "Liar’s Dividend": Real videos get dismissed as "just another deepfake," making the actual truth harder to prove.

• Fabricated events: Deepfakes create entirely fake scenarios to sway public opinion.

3. Privacy Invasion & Exploitation

• Non-consensual deepfake content: Used for blackmail, harassment, and defamation.

• AI-powered identity theft: Fake job applications, fraudulent transactions, and impersonation scams.

• Cyberbullying & online abuse: Manipulated videos ruin reputations and spread false narratives.

4. Identity Theft & Online Deception

• Deepfake social media profiles: Criminals create fake accounts that impersonate real people.

• Fake celebrity endorsements: Scammers use AI-generated celebrity deepfakes to push fraudulent products.

Deepfakes are fraud, scams, and deception in disguise. AI or Not helps you spot them before they cause real harm.

Stop the scam. Spot the fake. Check with AI or Not. 

Try it now.

The Ethical Debate: How Can We Keep Deepfakes Under Control?

Deepfake AI is a moral minefield. 

Is it ethical to bring the likeness of the deceased back in a digital form? Should there be regulations in terms of how far advertisers and marketers can go, making something look and sound real?

How far is too far, when it comes to fabrication that looks like reality?

Here are some notable ethical concerns:

Resurrecting the Dead

AI can digitally recreate the likeness of deceased loved ones. 

Is that comforting or unsettling? 

Think about public figures who have passed. Should brands be allowed to use AI-generated versions of celebrities in ads or movies, like Paul Walker re-appearing in Furious 7? Who would be liable to giving that consent?

AI-Generated Influencers

AI influencers look real, act real, but aren’t. Should brands be required to disclose when an influencer isn’t human? Does it deceive audiences when AI personalities push products, opinions, or political views?

Let’s go back to Lil Miquela. “Her” Instagram bio reads, “21-year-old Robot living in LA.” Is that enough to consider herself as real? Surely, someone is guiding her thoughts, and creating her journey?

Deepfakes & “Reality Apathy”

When anything can be faked, how do we trust anything at all? Fake news, manipulated videos, and AI-generated hoaxes are eroding public trust. The danger is a future world where people dismiss real evidence because they assume it’s fake.

All to say, it’s becoming evident and increasingly important to, at the very least, be able to distinguish what is real and what is not. 

If your humanistic instinct is to question something, you should be able to follow through on that gut reaction, and get an objective truth. 

How to Detect a Deepfake (And Why It’s Getting Harder)

Understanding what deepfake technology is used for is only half the battle. 

As AI continues to improve, understanding how to detect a deepfake will become increasingly important. 

Here are a few tips:

How to Potentially Spot a Deepfake

• Face & Body Inconsistencies: Watch for weird blinking, unnatural expressions, or awkward head movements.

• Audio Red Flags: Choppy pacing, robotic tones, or speech that doesn’t match lip movements can all be signs of an AI-generated voice.

• Lighting & Artifacts: Look for blurry edges, pixelation, or inconsistent shadows. AI struggles with small details.

How to Definitively Spot a Deepfake

At AI or Not, we analyze subtle AI patterns in images, audio, and video that humans can’t see. Our tool detects deepfakes with over 90% accuracy, giving you peace of mind, within seconds. 

Platforms like AI or Not analyze subtle patterns in images, audio, and video that humans can’t see. These tools can detect deepfakes with over 90% accuracy (98.9% for images!), giving you peace of mind in seconds.

AI or Not’s multi-layer models analyzes:

• Pixel level patterns, and inconsistencies, in images

• Differentiating what wavelengths and pitches real people, and AI, make

• Frame by frame analysis of video looking for subtle clues of AI and deepfakes

AI or Not is trusted by fraud prevention teams, major media outlets, and security pros to catch deepfakes before they cause harm. With real-time detection and enterprise-ready integration, we’re built to keep up with evolving threats, so you don’t have to.

Deepfakes are built to deceive. AI or Not is built to detect them. From subtle glitches to AI fingerprints, our tools reveal what’s real and what’s not.

Don’t trust. Verify. Check for deepfakes now. 

Try AI or Not.

The Future of Deepfake AI: What’s Next?

Deepfake AI is only getting smarter, faster, and harder to detect.

What used to be glitchy and obvious is now shockingly real, and the technology is improving every day. Look at where deepfakes were just a year ago, compared to today. 

How Businesses Can Defend Against Deepfakes

• Simulate Deepfake Attacks: Train employees to spot and react to deepfake-driven fraud.

• Create a Deepfake Crisis Playbook: What happens if a deepfake targets your company? Have a response and mediation plan.

• Educate Gen Z & Social Media Users: AI-generated misinformation is everywhere. Teach digital literacy early.

Will Regulations Catch Up?

• Governments are racing to regulate AI, but technology moves faster than the law.

• The EU’s AI Act and the U.S. DEEPFAKES Accountability Act are early attempts.

• The real challenge remains balancing AI innovation with preventing misuse.

The Blurry Line Between Fiction & Reality

Deepfake AI has made the line between truth and illusion thinner than ever. 

What started as a fascinating innovation is now a tool for both creativity and deception. From entertainment to cybercrime, deepfakes are reshaping how we consume and trust digital content.

The real challenge is to stay ahead of misinformation. As deepfakes become harder to detect, awareness, education, and detection tools are the only way to protect digital trust. Businesses, governments, and individuals all have a role to play in ensuring that AI is used responsibly.

Deepfakes aren’t going away. The only question is: Are you prepared?

Whether it’s a suspicious video, an AI-cloned voice, or a too-perfect image, AI or Not gives you the power to verify before you believe.

Don’t get fooled. Drop your file. Get instant answers. 

Try AI or Not now. Get ahead of the curb. And stay ahead. 

FAQs

1. How do you tell if a picture is a deepfake?

Spotting a deepfake image isn’t always easy, but some red flags include:

• Weird facial details: Blurry edges, unnatural expressions, or odd blinking patterns.

• Lighting mismatches: Shadows that don’t align, inconsistent highlights.

• Pixelation & distortions: Areas around the eyes, hair, or background might look off.

For highly convincing deepfakes, AI detection tools like AI or Not can help confirm authenticity.

2. Can people detect deepfakes?

Yes, but it’s getting harder. AI-generated content keeps improving, making some deepfakes almost impossible to spot with the naked eye. The best way to verify is by using AI-powered detection tools.

3. What is the benefit of deepfake technology?

Not all deepfakes are harmful. The technology is already transforming industries:

• Education & Training: AI-generated simulations help train doctors, pilots, and other professionals.

• Entertainment & Film: Hollywood uses deepfakes to de-age actors and bring historical figures to life. And everyone loves a good meme!

• Personal & Historical Restoration: AI can recreate lost voices and historical figures for documentaries.

4. Are deepfakes illegal?

It depends on how they’re used:

• Illegal Uses: Fraud, defamation, identity theft, and non-consensual deepfakes are criminal offenses in many places.

• Legal Uses: Parody, satire, and entertainment may be protected under free speech laws.