The “deepfake dilemma”: understanding the threat and how VerifyLabsAI protects you

Welcome, digital citizens! In a world where our lives are increasingly online, it’s more important than ever to know what’s real and what’s not. 

You’ve probably heard the term “deepfake” floating around—perhaps in a news story, a viral video, or a cautionary tale. But what exactly are deepfakes, why are they such a big deal and most importantly, how can you protect yourself and your loved ones from their deceptive power? At VerifyLabs, we’re shining a light on this growing challenge and giving you the tools to navigate the digital landscape safely.

What exactly is a deepfake? It’s more than just a photoshopped image!

Think of deepfakes as super-advanced, AI-powered fakes. Unlike a simple Photoshopped image, which manipulates pixels, deepfakes use sophisticated artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to create entirely new, realistic-looking images, videos, or audio clips. They can make it appear as though someone said or did something they never did, often with alarming realism.

The “deep” in deepfake comes from “deep learning,” a branch of AI that uses neural networks to learn from vast amounts of data. In the case of deepfakes, an AI model might be fed thousands of images or hours of audio of a person. It then “learns” their facial expressions, voice patterns, and mannerisms so well that it can generate new content featuring that person doing or saying anything the creator desires. Scary, right?

Why are deepfakes such a big deal in 2025?

The deepfake landscape has evolved dramatically. In 2023, there were around 500,000 deepfakes shared. Fast forward to 2025, and projections suggest that this number could skyrocket to eight million. That’s a huge jump, and it tells us a few important things:

• Accessibility: the tools to create deepfakes are becoming easier to use and more widely available, even for those without advanced technical skills.
• Sophistication: the quality of deepfakes has improved immensely. What might have looked a bit “off” a few years ago can now be incredibly convincing, often indistinguishable from reality to the untrained eye.
• Variety of media: it’s not just videos anymore. Deepfake technology now expertly manipulates images, audio, and even text, making the threat multi-faceted.

These advancements mean deepfakes are no longer just a novelty or a niche concern. They’re a mainstream tool, easily accessible to both sophisticated criminals and opportunistic bad actors.

The growing threat: where deepfakes cause trouble

Deepfakes are popping up in various unsettling ways, impacting individuals, businesses and even our society at large.

• Political manipulation and misinformation: imagine a seemingly authentic video of a political leader making a controversial statement they never uttered, released just before an election. This isn’t science fiction; it’s a very real threat. Deepfakes can erode trust in information, making it harder for people to discern truth from falsehood and potentially swaying public opinion.
• Financial fraud and scams: this is where deepfakes hit hard in the wallet. We’re seeing more cases of AI-cloned voices impersonating CEOs to authorise fraudulent money transfers, or fake video calls tricking employees into sending millions. These aren’t just one-off events; they’re becoming more common and more convincing.
• Reputational damage and extortion: non-consensual explicit content is a particularly heinous use, causing immense personal distress and harm to victims. Beyond that, deepfakes can be used to create fake compromising material for blackmail or to damage someone’s professional reputation by making it seem like they said or did something inappropriate.
• Identity theft and verification bypasses: with the rise of remote identity verification, deepfakes pose a serious challenge. Criminals can now generate synthetic identities with convincing video footage to bypass security checks, making it harder for businesses to trust who they’re dealing with.
• Erosion of trust in digital evidence: for law enforcement and legal systems, deepfakes present a nightmare. If a video or audio recording can be perfectly faked, how do you trust any digital evidence? This can complicate investigations and undermine justice.

Protecting yourself and your loved ones: practical steps

While the landscape can seem daunting, there are practical steps you can take to become a more discerning digital consumer and protect yourself:

1. Be skeptical: if a video, audio clip, or image seems too good to be true, too shocking, or out of character for the person depicted, pause and question it. A healthy dose of skepticism is your first line of defence.
2. Verify the source: Before you share anything, especially controversial or sensational content, check where it came from. Is it from a reputable news organisation? An official social media account? Or is it from an unknown or suspicious source? Be wary of content that suddenly appears out of nowhere without context.
3. Cross-reference information: if you see something concerning, try to find reliable sources reporting the same information. If only one obscure source is sharing it, that’s a red flag. Look for confirmation from mainstream media, official government channels, or trusted experts.
4. Look for inconsistencies (harder now: older deepfakes often had tell-tale signs: poor lip-syncing, unnatural blinking, inconsistent lighting, or odd movements. While newer deepfakes are much better, sometimes subtle glitches can still appear. Pay attention to:
   • Unnatural facial movements: do expressions seem off or stiff?
   • Poor lip synchronisation: do the words match the mouth movements?
   • Inconsistent lighting or shadows: does the lighting on the person match the background?
   • Odd blinks or eye movements: do they blink unnaturally or too little?
   • Blurry edges or distortions: look for subtle anomalies around the person’s outline or in the background.
5. Secure your digital footprint: the less material available online that can be used to train deepfake models, the better. Review your privacy settings on social media. Be mindful of what photos and videos you share publicly. Consider limiting access to your old content.
6. Use verification tools: this is where VerifyLabs.AI comes in! Instead of relying solely on your eyes and ears, powerful AI-driven tools like our deepfake detector are designed to analyse digital media for signs of manipulation. Our app and browser extension provide a quick and easy way to get a clear answer on whether content is human or AI-generated.

VerifyLabs.AI: trust, but Verify

At VerifyLabs.AI, we believe that everyone deserves to feel safe and confident in the digital world. That’s why we’ve developed an intuitive iOS app that puts sophisticated AI detection technology right in your pocket. With our clear “green circle” for human and “red square” for AI-generated content, we make it simple for you to verify images, videos, audio, and text in moments.

As deepfakes continue to evolve, so too will our technology. Stay informed, stay vigilant, and always verify first.