<h2 class="wp-block-heading eplus-wrapper">Earth-shaking fakes?</h2>

The video seems to show British leader Rishi Sunak talking to his ministers. "We've done our best to sort out the terrible mistakes made by the Conservative government," he says. "But it's an impossible task. I would honestly tell people to vote for LabourBritain's main left-of-centre political party.." 

Such a confessionAdmitting to something, especially doing something wrong. Catholics confess their sins to priests in order to be forgiven by God., if real, would spell disaster for Sunak. Of course, he would never say any such thing. But the technology exists to make it look as though he has.

Last month 143 posts with deepfakesThis technique uses artificial intelligence to change the identity of a person in an image or a video - or to make it appear that a person is saying or doing something that they never said or did. targeting Sunak were promoted on Facebook.¹ They came from 23 different countries and may have reached 400,000 people.

Labour's leader Keir Starmer has also been targeted. In September an audio clip emerged of him seeming to swear at his aidesAssistants to important people. . It was quickly shown to be a fake, but 1.5 million people heard it.²

A fake audio clip was also created during Slovakia's general election in September. The head of the liberalLiberalism is a school of political thought that stresses individual liberty. Liberals believe that society should not try to impose values or behaviours on individuals but should be tolerant of different lifestyles. A leading exponent of liberal thought was the 19th-century English philosopher John Stuart Mill, the author of the classic work On Liberty. Progressive Slovakia party was supposedly heard planning to rigInterfere with or change a process so that it benefits you. the election. He lost the election to a pro-Russian party.

These are worrying events in a year when Britain, the US, India and more than 60 other countries have elections.³

There is nothing new about using fake pictures and documents. But AI tools which can can make extremely convincing ones are now widely available.

According to on expert, Hany Farid, billions of people will be able to create deepfakes "at the push of a button".

That is not the only worry about deepfakes. Another is that their existence could make people distrust the whole political process.

 It allows politicians like Donald Trump to claim that things which are true are actually fake.

"Because of this corrosiveCapable of destroying or eating away at something. Usually used to describe certain acids. attack on the veracityAccuracy or truthfulness. of information, we ceaseStop. trusting anything," one former minister told the BBC.

Is democracy at risk?

Yes: Deepfakes are becoming so advanced that politicians can appear to say almost anything. A US survey found that at least a third of the time people were unable to identify fake news headlines.

No: Most people are alert to the danger of deepfakes and will not be fooled. The tech companies are also on the case: Microsoft's Bing Image Creator refused to generate fake images of Rishi Sunak.

Or... Most people have decided how they will vote far well before elections. HoaxesA plan to deceive or trick people. that prevent them going to the polls are a bigger worry - for example, a bomb threat or a terrible traffic jam.

Labour - Britain's main left-of-centre political party.

Confession - Admitting to something, especially doing something wrong. Catholics confess their sins to priests in order to be forgiven by God.

Deepfakes - This technique uses artificial intelligence to change the identity of a person in an image or a video - or to make it appear that a person is saying or doing something that they never said or did.

Aides - Assistants to important people.

Liberal - Liberalism is a school of political thought that stresses individual liberty. Liberals believe that society should not try to impose values or behaviours on individuals but should be tolerant of different lifestyles. A leading exponent of liberal thought was the 19th-century English philosopher John Stuart Mill, the author of the classic work On Liberty.

Rig - Interfere with or change a process so that it benefits you.

Corrosive - Capable of destroying or eating away at something. Usually used to describe certain acids.

Veracity - Accuracy or truthfulness.

Cease - Stop.

Hoaxes - A plan to deceive or trick people.