We talked with a real forensic expert, Hany Farid, about deepfakes.

Welcome back to The FAIK Files! In this week's episode: • We sit down with deepfake expert Hany Farid to discuss the real-world harms of synthetic media. • Exploring the physics of deepfake detection and why real-time streams might be easier to defend. • The dangers of using AI to "enhance" images and hallucinate hidden details. • A look at solutions like C2PA, watermarking, and the pressing need for platform accountability. Check out Get Real Security: https://getrealsecurity.com Learn more about C2PA: https://contentcredentials.org Want to leave us a voicemail? Here's the magic link to do just that: https://sayhi.chat/FAIK You can also join our Discord server here: https://faik.to/discord ** NOTES AND REFERENCES ** ➡️ What Keeps Hany Farid Up at Night?: • The rising harms of non-consensual intimate imagery (NCII) and child sexual abuse material (CSAM) generated by AI. • Voice cloning being weaponized for individual fraud and real-time deepfakes used by state-sponsored actors. • Why the specific tool (like Sora or face swap) matters less than the overall threat vector and resulting harm. ➡️ Deepfake Detection - APIs vs. Physics: • Hany's work at UC Berkeley and his company Get Real Security. • The right way to do scientific deepfake detection, relying on reverse-engineering, and measurable, explainable factors • How physical camera imperfections (noise) differ from the artifacts introduced by AI upsampling and diffusion models. ➡️ The Danger of AI "Enhancement": • Why using AI to "remove a ski mask" or enhance low-res footage is not like CSI—it's just hallucinating statistically consistent pixels. • AI lacks a notion of uncertainty, leading to dangerous misidentifications and real-world harm. • The "Liar's Dividend": When the flood of AI slop makes people doubt the authenticity of real, unedited evidence. ➡️ Safeguards, C2PA, and Platform Responsibility: • The role of watermarks and C2PA content credentials acting as "nutrition labels" for digital media. • The dire need for social media platforms to enforce semantic guardrails and take responsibility for the content they amplify. • Find more of Hany's work by searching YouTube for his lectures on "Physics-Based Photo Forensics." ** THE BOILERPLATE ** About The FAIK Files: The FAIK Files is an offshoot project from Perry Carpenter's most recent book, FAIK: A Practical Guide to Living in a World of Deepfakes, Disinformation, and AI-Generated Deceptions. • Get the Book: FAIK: A Practical Guide to Living in a World of Deepfakes, Disinformation, and AI-Generated Deceptions (Amazon Associates link) - https://amzn.to/4cIAjww • Check out the website for more info: https://thisbookisfaik.com Check out Perry & Mason's other show, the Digital Folklore Podcast: • Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... • Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2v1Belk... Want to connect with us? Here's how: Connect with Perry: • Perry on LinkedIn:   / perrycarpenter   • Perry on X: https://x.com/perrycarpenter • Perry on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/perrycarpent... Connect with Mason: • Mason on LinkedIn:   / mason-amadeus-a853a7242   • Mason on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/wickedintere...