What is a deepfake and how to recognize it

A deepfake is a photo or video product created with the help of artificial intelligence that is intended to mislead a potential viewer. Quite often, this format of image manipulation is used with photos of famous people to create a sensational event. However, researchers at the University of Hull, England, have shown that a fake picture can be identified by the eyes.

According to the scientists, the main feature of an artificially created photo is inconsistent or uneven light glare in the pupils, Science News reports. To detect deepfakes, researchers use the same methodology as astronomers when studying galaxies.

Scientists explained that in real images, the light reflected in a person's eyes reproduces its source, i.e., appears in the form of a window or lamp. In the case of fakes, there is often heterogeneity in the glare.

In order to detect a deepfake, scientists use the Gini index, which was originally created to measure property inequality in society, where 0 means absolute equality and 1 means complete inequality. During the study, the team used a computer program that divided the photo into pixels, which helped to identify the intensity of light on each part. The scientists then compared the prints on the right and left eyes. In 70 percent of the artificial photos, the difference between the readings was significantly higher than in the original fragments, where there were almost no differences.

"We can't assure that a certain value corresponds to a fake. But we can say that it indicates a problem, and perhaps a person should take a closer look at the photo," said researcher Kevin Pimblett.

The scientist emphasized that some original images may look like a fake. This happens if a person blinks in the frame or is too close to the light source.

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