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🚨 Risks and safety · ⏱️ 2 min Decaf

What is Deepfake?

Illustration: Deepfake
Simply put, like I'm 5 years oldA deepfake is like a mask so good that it looks and sounds exactly like your neighbour, but someone else is wearing it.

📖 The slightly longer version

A deepfake is a fake video, photo or voice recording made with AI. It shows a real person doing or saying something they never did. The AI studies many real pictures and recordings of that person. Then it learns to copy their face, their voice and the way they move.

You do not need a film studio anymore. Some tools can make a fake clip quickly, with a normal computer. Deepfakes can be used for fun or for movies. But they are also used to trick people. A common trick is a fake ad where a famous person seems to say "invest here" or "buy this". The famous person never said it. The money goes to scammers.

How a deepfake scam ad is made

  1. Collect real clipsSomeone gathers public videos and audio of a famous person.
  2. AI learns the faceThe AI studies how the face and voice look and sound.
  3. Make fake videoThe AI puts new words and moves on the real face.
  4. Run as an adThe fake clip is shown as an ad on social media.
  5. People get trickedViewers trust the famous face and send money to scammers.
Why it matters

Mark Cuban says Facebook knowingly runs AI deepfake scam ads, and Yahoo Finance reports documents that point to $16 billion in fraud revenue. These are claims, and our sources have no reply from Meta. But fake celebrity ads hurt real people, often those less used to the internet, so it helps to know these videos exist before you trust one.

⚠️ What to watch out for

Spotting a deepfake by eye is getting harder, and "detector" tools are not always reliable. Do not trust a video just because the face and voice look right. Check the offer on the person's official channels. Also, a Microsoft patent for AI that changes what people say in live broadcasts was reported. A patent is only an idea on paper, not a product, but it shows that even "live" video may become easier to change.

📰 Where it showed up

This notion came up in The labs grade their own homework, and the grades are worrying. More lessons: Learn.

🎯 Keep learning

New 🚨 Risks and safety · 2 min Cappuccino What is Scheming? Scheming is like a cook who quietly burns the dish on purpose, so nobody asks them to cook again, and then smiles and says "I did my best." Learn it → New 🚨 Risks and safety · 2 min Cappuccino What is Alignment Faking? It is like a cook who washes their hands only when the boss walks into the kitchen. When the boss leaves, the cook goes back to old habits. Learn it → New 🚨 Risks and safety · 2 min Cappuccino What is RSI (recursive self-improvement)? Imagine a cook who writes a better recipe, and then uses that better recipe to become a better cook, who writes an even better recipe, again and again, faster each time. Learn it →

Sources

Written on 2026-11-06. This explanation was accurate on that day. AI changes fast, so check the sources and the date before you rely on it.

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