Trust is confidence that information, systems, or content are reliable, authentic, and safe to rely on. Synthetic media puts that confidence under pressure: convincing fake images, videos, and audio can deceive audiences, manipulate opinion, and disrupt institutions. section 4.3
The danger extends beyond fabricated evidence. The liar’s dividend lets wrongdoers dismiss genuine recordings, images, or videos as deepfakes, weakening accountability and confidence in shared reality. Preserving trust therefore requires more than detection: technical tools, authentication methods, policy, and public education must work together. section 4.3 section 4.15
Protective use of deepfakes
In Welcome to Chechnya, filmmakers used deepfake technology to anonymize LGBTQ+ activists’ faces, protecting them from persecution while preserving the emotional impact of their stories. The same approach could anonymize faces in surveillance footage or on social media. section 4.3
