When the Trojans wheeled a magnificent wooden horse into their city, they unwittingly welcomed disaster disguised as victory. Today, our digital spaces face a similar peril with deepfakes, which are meticulously fabricated media infiltrating our trust under a convincing cloak of authenticity. Just as the Trojans’ misplaced faith had tragic consequences, so too can the careless embrace of these manipulative media content fracture our trust.
Deepfakes employ artificial intelligence to manipulate audio and visual media, creating astonishingly realistic yet entirely false portrayals. Originally an esoteric technology, deepfakes now proliferate across social media, challenging our ability to discern fact from fiction.
Their rise parallels the warning issued by technology writer and journalist, Mark Lyndersay. Writing recently in the Trinidad and Tobago Newsday, Lyndersay warns us that deepfakes are rapidly becoming tools for misinformation, and are capable of destabilising societies by spreading lies cloaked in authenticity.
The recent social media blunder made by actor and singer Suchitra Krishnamoorthi vividly illustrates Lyndersay’s concerns. In a moment of impulsivity, she shared a false claim that Vishwaskumar Ramesh, the sole survivor of the tragic Air India crash, had fabricated his story.
The deepfake video that she amplified claiming Ramesh had been arrested had monetised his genuine trauma to garner clicks and likes; it was devoid of ethics or empathy. Her unthinking sharing stirred public outrage.
The Press Trust of India, and other media, quickly debunked the misinformation. Krishnamoorthi’s subsequent apology, “Seems to be false news circulated for God knows what reason”, reflected her apparent confusion.
But apologies cannot fully mend the emotional, and other societal damage caused when misinformation is amplified by respectable, public figures. This incident underscores a troubling reality: when dissemination of deepfakes is unchecked, it transforms personal, traumatic, and life-changing tragedies into public spectacle.
Krishnamoorthi’s error should not merely serve as fodder for social media critique; rather, it must become a catalyst to enable broader public awareness.
Deepfakes thrive on immediacy, emotion, and impulsivity, precisely the factors that fired up the engine in Krishnamoorthi’s case. It is critical that we recognise these vulnerabilities, and especially so for our young adults navigating online spaces. Education about digital literacy must be prioritised, equipping us to scrutinise the source, question emotionally charged content, and detect subtle anomalies that betray falsified media, as Lyndersay tells us.
Critics argue that hyper-vigilance risks censorship or undermines free expression. Yet, promoting critical verification does not suppress voices; it protects genuine discourse from contamination by deliberate, manipulative falsehoods. Democracies flourish through informed debate, not through unrestrained misinformation masquerading as free speech.
There are practical ways for us to guard against deepfakes. Verify startling news through reputable sources; look for inconsistencies in speech or visuals; and approach sensational claims with healthy skepticism.
When public figures falter, as Krishnamoorthi did, it is a sharp reminder that no one is immune to deception. Our vigilance as a community thus becomes essential to preserving truth in public discourse.
Ultimately, deepfakes represent more than technological trickery; they symbolise a profound moral and ethical challenge. The erosion of trust, exploitation of trauma, and polarisation of societies are grave threats in our digital age.
Like the Trojan horse, deepfakes conceal danger beneath their deceptive surface, awaiting entry into our collective consciousness. Our defense against this digital infiltration hinges upon education, caution, and responsibility.
Krishnamoorthi’s error was unfortunate; however, it was also instructive – let it remind us, as Lyndersay has correctly discerned, that vigilance must now be a constant companion in our online interactions.