Cheapfakes versus Deepfakes: What are the Differences?

In our increasingly and continuously changing digital world, the ability to manipulate media has never been more accessible or more sophisticated. Two terms that often come up in discussions about digital deception are "cheapfakes" and "deepfakes." While both refer to altered media content, they differ significantly in their creation methods, impact, and the challenges they present.

These two 'fakes' have emerged as two powerful yet often misunderstood forms of manipulated media. So the distinction between cheap fakes and deepfakes is essential for understanding their unique roles in misinformation and the associated risks they pose to public trust, security and privacy.

What Exactly are Cheapfakes?

Cheapfakes are altered media that are created using relatively simple tools and techniques. They can be produced with basic video editing software or even just by manually adjusting audio. Examples of cheapfakes include videos where someone’s speech is edited to make them say something they did not actually say, or images where elements have been photoshopped to alter their context or meaning.

The term "cheapfake" highlights the low cost and minimal technical expertise required to produce such content. Because cheapfakes are often created with readily available tools, they can spread rapidly across social media and other digital platforms. This ease of creation makes them a popular choice for misinformation campaigns, where the goal is often to mislead or provoke a reaction rather than to create a highly realistic fake.

What are Deepfakes?

Deepfakes, on the other hand, represent a more advanced form of media manipulation. The term "deepfake" comes from "deep learning" and "fake," indicating that these videos or images are created using sophisticated machine learning algorithms. Deepfakes typically involve the use of neural networks to generate highly realistic videos where the faces or voices of individuals are swapped or manipulated. For instance, deepfake technology can create a video of someone saying something they never said by training algorithms on a large dataset of that person's speech patterns and facial expressions.

Creating deepfakes requires substantial computational power and technical knowledge, often involving high-end graphics processing units (GPUs) and specialised software. As a result, while deepfakes are more complex and costly to produce compared to cheapfakes, they also tend to be much more convincing.

Outstanding Key Differences

1. Technology: Cheapfakes rely on basic editing techniques and tools, while deepfakes use advanced machine learning algorithms and neural networks.
2. Realism: Deepfakes are generally more convincing and harder to detect than cheapfakes due to their high level of realism. Cheapfakes, while still potentially misleading, are often less polished and easier to spot as manipulated content.
3. Creation Cost: The cost of creating deepfakes is significantly higher than that of cheapfakes. Deepfakes require specialised hardware and software, whereas cheapfakes can be made with standard video editing tools.
4. Detection: Detecting deepfakes is more challenging because they can be incredibly realistic. However, there are emerging tools and techniques designed to identify deepfakes, such as those analysing subtle inconsistencies in video or audio. Cheapfakes, due to their less sophisticated nature, might be easier to detect through simpler methods like visual inspection or fact-checking.

Implications and Challenges

Both cheapfakes and deepfakes pose significant challenges, especially in the realms of misinformation and privacy. Cheapfakes can quickly spread misleading information and can be particularly damaging in political or social contexts. Deepfakes, with their high level of realism, have raised concerns about their potential use in creating fake evidence, defamation, or harassment.

The legal and ethical implications of both types of media manipulation are still evolving. Governments and organisations are working to develop regulations and technologies to combat the spread of false information and protect individuals from harmful uses of altered media. As technology advances, so too must our strategies for identifying and addressing digital deception.

Final Remarks

While both cheapfakes and deepfakes involve media manipulation, their methods, realism, and impact differ significantly. Cheapfakes are easier and cheaper to produce but generally less convincing, while deepfakes offer a higher level of realism but come with greater technical and financial costs. Understanding these differences is crucial as we navigate the challenges of digital misinformation and strive to develop effective responses to protect information integrity and personal privacy in our increasingly digital age.

Until the next article, stay curious, stay innovative, and keep building a smarter world.

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