Identifying AI-Generated Photos and Videos: New Tools to Combat Digital Deception

 

Identifying AI-Generated Photos and Videos: New Tools to Combat Digital Deception

As artificial intelligence continues to change digital media, a new problem has emerged distinguishing reality from fiction. From strangely realistic “deepfake” videos, to AI-created portraits that closely resemble real people, fake visuals have become a serious threat to truthfulness and trust on internet platforms. However, as synthetic media advances, tools for detecting them are increasing as well. 

At Google I/O 2025, Google DeepMind showcased the SynthID Detector—a groundbreaking platform with the capability of identifying watermarked images, audio, and video represented by an invisible Google SynthID signature. This free to use tool, which is currently in public beta testing, assists journalists, researchers, and content platforms in determining if the material was generated by AI tools (e.g., Gemini, Imagen, Veo), and whether it has been digitally manipulated.

In other technology advancements, Adobe revealed its Content Authenticity web app based off of Adobe's Content Credentials, which embeds metadata into digital files, making it difficult to alter tamper. When a content creator creates or changes a file, it will document things like: when it was completed, where, who created the images, etc. Although the technology will exist in a standalone web app, Adobe is also incorporating everything into Photoshop and Lightroom to help preserve authenticity in a time when image manipulation is rampant.

Lastly, cybersecurity firm Norton is also getting into the game with a new Deepfake Protection feature that allows users to upload their videos from YouTube or social media platforms to check if they have been manipulated with AI or not. The app checks for inconsistencies in audio, light, and facial movements—all evidence of deepfake activity. Vastav AI, based in India and released in March 2025, provides a real-time method for identifying altered videos and voice clones, and is a step toward regional methods to combat digital misinformation.

Some experts emphasize that education is still important, with media researcher Ananya Mehta commenting that, "Technology alone cannot fix the problem... We want to educate people to ask questions. Questions about what they see, look at the source, verify any imagery, and check for exceptions.

As deepfakes become increasingly advanced, the race is on to identify them. With technology such as SynthID, Content Credentials, and Norton's deepfake scanner emerging, the world is gearing to push back against dishonesty with just further proof that in a war between truth and technology, knowledge and innovation continue to be our best defense.