Day 23: Deepfakes and fake photos and videos — LearnAI

Today's idea

If you suddenly get a phone call in the voice of someone you know, asking for urgent money, should you assume it's really them just because the voice sounds familiar? (tap to see)

No. These days AI can copy a person's voice from just a short recording. So if anything involves urgent money, hang up and call that person back on the number you already know, to check.

It may feel familiar but still be fake — call a number you know to be sure

It used to take a lot of time and skill to fake someone's picture or video, and fakes were easy to catch. Now AI can put someone's face into a video, make fake photos, and even copy a voice from just a few seconds of recording. This is called a deepfake.

The most dangerous use is copying the voice of someone you know and phoning to ask for urgent money — for example, "I'm in trouble, please send some money right now." The voice may sound familiar, but it may not be the real person. Scammers create this kind of rush on purpose, so you have no time to think.

So when something like this happens, the first move is to pause. Don't send money right away. Hang up, and call that person directly on the number you already know. With videos and pictures, you can look for things that seem off — lips that don't match the sound, blinking that looks strange, or light and shadows that don't quite add up.

Try it yourself Time: 3 minutes

1.Open the Gemini or ChatGPT app.
2.Type something like this and ask:

Tell me a few simple signs for spotting fake pictures, fake videos or cloned voices made with AI.
3.Remember the signs in the answer, or write them down. Then make a rule for yourself — if a call comes in a familiar voice asking for urgent money, hang up first and check by calling that person on the number you know.

Do it together Time: 5 minutes

With anyone — a child, a parent, a friend or a colleague.

With the person you're with, make a rule: if anyone in the family or among close people phones asking for urgent money, always call that person back on their own known number before sending anything. Decide the rule together and remember it.

We did this together

Today's key point

Don't believe a voice or picture just because it seems familiar — if you hear something urgent, pause first, then call that person directly on the number you know.

Check yourself

Two quick questions from today's lesson.

1. If you suddenly get a phone call in a familiar voice asking for urgent money, what should you do first?

Correct answer: Hang up and check by calling that person on their own known number — a voice can sound familiar and still be fake, so you should check by calling that person on the number you know.

2. What can be one sign of a fake video?

Correct answer: Lips that don't match the sound, or strange blinking — lips that don't match the sound, or odd small details, often give away a fake video.