Why are deepfakes becoming so realistic and concerning?

Deepfakes are becoming so realistic because they’re like photoshopped videos that a computer makes, and it’s getting really good at it.

Imagine you have a robot painter who can copy your face perfectly, even the way you smile or blink. That robot is learning from thousands of pictures and videos of you. The more it practices, the better it gets at copying your face so well that it looks like you're talking on the screen, not someone else.

Think of deepfakes as a copy machine for faces in videos. You put in a video of someone, and the copy machine learns how to make their face look real, just like when you copy a drawing onto paper. The more copies it makes, the better it gets at making them look just right.

Now imagine that copy machine starts copying you, but without your permission. It could say things you didn’t say or make it look like you’re in a place you're not. That’s why people are worried, deepfakes can trick others, and they’re getting so good at it!