What is a deepfake and how can you spot one?

Discover why some things online are not what they seem.

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Dogs can't talk, Taylor Swift isn't the Queen, and your friend's mum or dad hasn't just signed for Manchester City; but in the world of deepfakes, all of this is possible. While those are examples of fun, seemingly harmless uses for this technology, there is also a worrying side.

What are deepfake images and videos?

Deepfakes are images or videos that have been made or changed to look real using artificial intelligence (Al). Al is the name given to a computer system that can learn from experience and perform tasks that usually require human intelligence.

It can be as simple as putting someone's face into a photo or making a video showing cute animals behaving like humans. "It can be fun to be creative in that way," says Will Gardner, the chief executive of Childnet, a charity that works to make the internet as safe as possible for young people. "But there are real concerns about the misuse of it too."