How do deepfake videos trick us and what are their risks?

Deepfake videos trick us by making it look like someone is saying or doing something they never actually did.

Imagine you have a robot friend who can copy your voice and face perfectly. If that robot starts talking, it looks just like you are speaking, even if you're not there! That’s what deepfake videos do: they use special computer tricks to change the way someone looks or sounds in a video.

Think of it like playing with face paint and a voice recorder. A computer takes lots of photos and videos of a person, like a video game character learning how to move and speak. Then, using that information, the computer can make it look like that person is saying new things or doing new actions.

Sometimes people use deepfakes to fool others, like in fake news or online scams. For example, a deepfake could make it seem like your favorite teacher is asking you to do something silly, when they’re not even there! This can cause confusion and even make people believe things that aren’t true.

It’s like getting tricked by a really good costume, you think it's your friend, but it's actually a clever robot pretending to be them.