Learn best ways to spot deepfake content

There was the deepfake audio robocall of President Joe Biden telling you to hold your vote. And then a phony video of former President Donald Trump with Black voters made the rounds.

AI deepfakes are a massive problem this election season, and it's easy to get taken.

By the way, you're not alone if you have been fooled. Nearly two-thirds of people can't tell the difference between AI-generated images and voices and the real thing, according to a study by the University of Aberdeen in Scotland.

Almost all of the AI-generated slop online is peddled for clicks on social media, not published by major news outlets.

‘Viral’ doesn’t mean ‘verified’

Almost all of the AI-generated slop online is peddled for clicks on social media, not published by major news outlets. These publications still get tripped up, of course, but it's rare.

Be wary of anonymous accounts that post without a legitimate person or organization attached to them. If it's some random person you've never heard of, do your homework before you hit share.

Look for other coverage

Scammers can put together a convincing image or video, but they can't fake the context. When Biden or Trump says something, I promise it will be reported a hundred times and recorded from 20 angles.

● If you can only find one source for something, your internal AI detector should go off. Use Google Fact Check Explorer, VerifyThis, or Snopes to doublecheck.

Slow down

Deepfakes are often created with emotion in mind. The point is to make you mad, sad, or scared enough to share.

When it comes to political figures, pay attention to mannerisms. President Barack Obama's signature head lift and slight frown were present whenever he'd say, “Hi, everybody” in his weekly addresses. If the star of a video seems like an impersonator, they very well could be.

Common AI red flags

● Backgrounds: A vague, blurred background, smooth surfaces, or lines that don't match up are red flags.

● Context: Use your head – if the scenery doesn't align with the current climate, season or what's physically possible, that's because it's fake.

● Proportions: Check for objects that look mushed together or seem too large or small. The same goes for features, especially ears, fingers and feet.

● Angle: Deepfakes are the most convincing when the subject is facing the camera directly. Once a person starts to turn to the side and move, glitches may appear.

● Chins: The lower half of the face is the No. 1 giveaway on AI-generated candidate videos. Check to see if their chin or neck moves unnaturally or in an exaggerated way.

● Fingers and hands: Look for weird positions, too many fingers, extra-long digits or hands out of place.

If you spot it, don’t spread it

I get that some of these images and videos are shocking or even hilarious – but they're putting our elections at risk. If you're going to share something you know is AI-generated, call it out clearly in your text or post. Really, you're better off not sharing it at all.