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Tech & Science dictionary results for deepfake.

deepfake

American  

[deep-feyk] / ˈdipˌfeɪk /

Or deep fake

noun

1. a fake, digitally manipulated video or audio file produced by using deep learning, an advanced type of machine learning, and typically featuring a person’s likeness and voice in a situation that did not actually occur.

   Pornographic deepfakes have caused real harm to women whose faces have been superimposed over those of porn actresses.

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Etymology

Origin of deepfake

First recorded in 2015–20; deep (learning) ( def. ) + fake ¹ ( def. )

Explanation

A deepfake is an altered photo or video that's completely different from the original but still looks totally realistic. A film that appears to show your school principal winning the U.S. Open — it's probably a deepfake. Deepfakes are manipulated recordings that are made using artificial intelligence. Unlike older techniques for creating false images, deepfakes seem so authentic that you're not sure what's true and what isn't. They can be used for entertainment, to bring back long-dead Hollywood stars or swap characters from different movies. But deepfakes are often intended to deliberately mislead people by spreading fake (but real-looking) information. Deepfake was coined in 2017.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

deepfake

One shows the face of an Australian academic leading an international research study; the other is an AI-generated deepfake.

From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026

Founded long before the generative AI boom created the risk of calls using "deepfake" voices resembling real friends or family, the company is now working on filtering potentially fraudulent conversations.

From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026

It has since become illegal to create or request a non-consensual deepfake image of an adult in the UK.

From BBC ● Jun. 3, 2026

Caller IDs for bogus calls appear as legitimate agency numbers, emails carry official seals and accurate agency language, and in more advanced attacks, AI-generated deepfake audio and video replicate a public official, Dressler says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 26, 2026

When a deepfake Warren Buffett asked the first question at the meeting, why should an investor hold Berkshire for the long term, it took Abel several minutes to answer it.

From Barron's ● May 3, 2026