Deepfake Trust Deficit

For years, people have been told not to believe everything they read on the internet. Today, the warning has become much more serious: we may not be able to believe everything we see or hear either. Deepfake technology is spreading fast, and it presents a new crisis of trust on the internet that societies like Nepal cannot afford to overlook.

Deepfakes are artificial intelligence-made digitally manipulated images, videos, or audio recordings. They can make it look like someone is saying or doing something that never happened. Initially, this type of technology was popularised through entertainment and social media trends.

But its increasing sophistication has made it a powerful tool for fraud, misinformation, harassment and political manipulation.