25 JanuaryNews Literacy Day · IM Lab marks it every year in memory of Sir Mark Tully. First edition 25 January 2027. · in memory of Sir Mark Tully
IM LabInnovative Media Lab
D
AI & cyber safety

Deepfake

A fake video, photo or voice made with AI to look and sound real.

1 Basic

What it means

A deepfake is a fake video, photo or voice made with AI. It can show a real person saying or doing something they never said or did. Some deepfakes are so good that eyes and ears alone cannot tell.

Why it matters

Scammers now use fake faces and fake voices to fool families into sending money or sharing secrets. If you know deepfakes exist, you will stop and check before you trust a video or a voice, even one that seems to be someone you love.

2 Key concept

A story from the epics

In the Ramayana, the demon Maricha takes the shape of a beautiful golden deer near Rama and Sita's hut in the forest. Sita wants it, so Rama follows it far away. When Rama's arrow hits it, Maricha cries out in Rama's own voice: "Ha Sita! Ha Lakshmana!" Sita is sure Rama is in danger and sends Lakshmana to help him. Now Sita is alone, and Ravana comes.

The golden deer was a fake picture. The cry was a fake voice. Lakshmana doubted it, because he knew Rama could not be beaten so easily. His doubt was right.

Source: Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kanda (the golden deer and Maricha's cry).

A story from today

In November 2023, a deepfake video of the actor Rashmika Mandanna spread widely in India. Her face had been put on another woman's body. The Government of India then told social media companies to take down such fakes within 36 hours of a complaint. Police in many states also warn about calls where a scammer uses a copied voice of a relative to ask for money urgently.

What if...? Climb the question ladder

Each question leads to the next. Try to answer it yourself before you open it.

  1. 1What if the video looks completely real?

    Good deepfakes can. So do not depend only on your eyes. Check where the video came from, and whether trusted news sources report it.

  2. 2What if I get a call in my uncle's voice asking for money?

    Hang up and call your uncle back on the number you already have saved. Families can also agree on a secret family word to check.

  3. 3What if a friend makes a funny deepfake of a teacher?

    Even as a joke, it can hurt the teacher and spread beyond your class. Do not make or forward it. Tell a trusted adult if it is spreading.

  4. 4Are all AI-made pictures bad?

    No. AI pictures can be used for art, films and learning. The problem is using them to fool or hurt people. Honest creators say clearly that a picture is AI-made.

Try this

With your family, choose a secret family word. Agree that anyone who calls asking for money in an emergency must say it. Practise once: one person calls, the other asks for the word.

3 Go deeper

IM Lab books & programmes

Workshops & cyber clubs

R&D Lab games & tools

Trusted outside sources

Related terms

Generative AI (page being written)Report It (page being written)Scam (page being written)Verification (page being written)Voice Cloning (page being written)

All letters A to Z