Due Diligence In The Age Of Synthetic Reality: Managing Deepfake AI Risks

The integration of artificial intelligence into digital communication systems has transformed the creation, distribution and consumption of information. While this technological evolution has unlocked unprecedented opportunities for innovation and efficiency, it has simultaneously given rise to significant risks, most notably the amplification and rapid circulation of false or manipulative content. As AI-generated media becomes increasingly sophisticated, realistic and accessible, the boundary between authentic and fabricated material is becoming harder to distinguish.

Among the most concerning AI are deepfakes: highly realistic, AI-generated images, audio, or video content that resemble existing persons, objects, places, entities, or events which falsely appear to a viewer as authentic or truthful.¹