In recent years, we have seen significant technological advancements, especially in AI. This has led to the development of new video, image, and audio manipulation techniques called deepfakes and AI avatars on social media. With deepfake technology, you can create pictures or videos of people doing things they never did or saying things they never did. 

The technology can be used for malicious purposes such as defamation, impersonation, misinformation, or fake explicit content. Therefore, deepfakes can have serious adverse effects when combined with social media. In this article, we will look at the spread of misinformation caused by deepfakes and what social media platforms are doing to deal with the information spread by this technology.

What Are Deepfakes?

The term Deepfake is a combination of two words: Deep learning and fake. Deepfakes involve a manipulation technology trained to review large datasets of videos, audios, and images. The technology then uses this data to generate or manipulate images, videos, and audios.

The Growth of Deepfakes

In recent years, we have seen phenomenal growth in deepfake videos. Data from DeepMedia shows that in 2023, there were about 500,000 voice and video deepfakes. This number is expected to rise to over 8 million by 2025. This fast growth can be attributed to the ease of accessibility of powerful AI tools and the large library of publicly available data. 

With social media platforms being the conduit for spreading misinformation, they have played a key role in the rise of deepfakes. According to a study done in 2022, less than a third of consumers globally understand what deepfakes are. This is a clear indication that deepfakes have the potential to mislead a lot of people.

How Deepfakes Help Spread Misinformation on Social Media

Social media algorithms now prioritize content generating a lot of engagement, which is why users try to create viral content, whether it's true or not. Here are ways in which deepfakes are helping to spread misinformation on  social media:

Political Campaigns

In recent years, social media has been used for political campaigns. This has been taken to a whole new level with the introduction of deepfakes. Political leaders are now depicted doing or saying things they never did or said. A good example is a recent video of Ukrainian president Zelenskiy, asking his army to stop fighting. These videos can erode people's trust in leaders, shape opinions, and influence elections.

Fake News and Misinformation

For a long time, social media platforms have struggled with fake news and misinformation. According to a University of Baltimore study, fake news costs the global economy $78 billion. Deepfakes, which can create realistic-looking videos, have helped spread fake news.

A Pew Research Center report showed that the major concern for experts regarding AI was the emergence of fake news. As AI technology becomes more convincing, some basic facts may get watered down as people get more confused trying to determine what is true or false.

Privacy Concerns

Deepfakes are often used for harmful purposes. For instance, they can be used to create a video of Donald Trump saying something he didn't say without his content. This can lead to questions on privacy concerns. Some experts have even called for more stringent legislation to help deal with the issue of deepfakes.

Fraudulent Impersonations

Deepfakes affect not only politicians. We have videos of CEO impersonations used to promote scams or create fraudulent content. This has created a new challenge for businesses as they try to protect themselves and maintain their customers' trust.

How Social Media Platforms Can Fight AI-Fueled Lies

Since deepfake videos are often spread on social media, these platforms should be essential in preventing the spread. Here are ways in which they can do that:

Investing in Detection Software

As long as social media platforms do nothing to detect and flag deepfake videos, their spread will continue. One step that social media platforms should take is to invest in deepfake detection technologies and software to help them identify and filter content on different platforms, including news sites.

Education and Awareness

Many social media users are still unaware of how to detect deepfake content. That's why social media platforms should educate their users on the existence of deepfakes and their potential risks. They can advise their users on tools to detect and present deepfakes or ensure that they only use the official channels. When social media audiences are increasingly aware, they can avoid manipulation.

Legislation and Regulation

Social media platforms should also encourage government and other regulatory bodies to create, update, and implement legislation to stop the spread of misuse. Such laws should have clear consequences for the people creating and helping spread such content.

For instance, in the UK, the online Safety Bill was updated to help protect people who are deepfake victims. However, such efforts need to be upscaled globally since deepfakes are universal. For instance, a creator in India can develop a deepfake of the Queen of England. Therefore, there is a need for country collaborations in preventing the misuse of deepfakes.

Final Thoughts

While social media AI tools have helped improve user experience, they also have downsides. One of these is the development of deepfakes. With many social media users unable to differentiate between real videos and deepfakes, social media platforms must play a more prominent role in preventing the spread of deepfakes.