How to Detect AI-Generated and Deepfake Videos Online

AI-generated and deepfake videos are increasingly common on social media and video platforms. As AI models improve, it is becoming harder to visually distinguish real footage from synthetic content. This page explains the most reliable ways to evaluate a video before you share or rely on it.

What is a deepfake video?

A deepfake is a video created or altered using artificial intelligence to make a person appear to say or do something they never did. Modern deepfakes use neural networks trained on real footage to mimic facial expressions, lighting, and mouth movement with high realism.

Why deepfakes are difficult to detect

Earlier AI videos often contained obvious glitches. Today, many deepfakes look realistic because:

• Facial movement and lip-syncing can closely match speech.
• Lighting and shadows are more consistent across frames.
• Compression and platform filters can hide artifacts.
• High-resolution source material produces cleaner synthetic results.

Because of this, simply “watching carefully” is no longer enough to reliably determine whether a video is authentic.

Common ways to detect AI-generated videos

Detection methods generally fall into two categories. Each has strengths and limitations.

1) Metadata and context analysis

Some checks rely on context: the uploader’s history, the title/description, or whether the claim matches other credible reporting. This can provide useful clues, but metadata can be misleading, incomplete, or intentionally manipulated.

2) Frame-based visual analysis

Frame-based analysis examines individual video frames for subtle inconsistencies that AI models often introduce. Common signals include:

• Unnatural eye movement or blinking patterns
• Inconsistent facial textures (especially around the mouth and jaw)
• Irregular shadows, reflections, or lighting changes
• Minor distortions near hairlines, glasses, or fast head turns

This approach focuses on the video content itself, not just surrounding text or context.

Can deepfake detection be 100% accurate?

No detection method is perfect. Some videos may be too short, low-quality, or heavily compressed to analyze reliably. Responsible tools may return outcomes such as:

• AI-generated (signals consistent with synthetic or manipulated content)
• No AI detected (no strong manipulation signals found)
• Unclear (insufficient signal for a confident classification)

How TrueSight approaches video analysis

TrueSight is a browser-based deepfake detection tool designed for real-world video browsing. When you choose to scan a video, TrueSight analyzes actual video frames (where possible) and returns a clear verdict such as AI-generated, no AI detected, or unclear—along with an explanation.

TrueSight is intended to support critical thinking, not replace it. For important decisions, verify with multiple sources.