The Deepfake Effect: How AI is reshaping misinformation around protests

AI-generated videos, cloned voices and manipulated images are creating new challenges for journalists, authorities and citizens during public protests. In this opinion article, Ankush Sabharwal, CEO and Founder of CoRover.ai, examines how deepfakes can influence public perception, increase tensions and make authentic footage harder to verify. He argues for stronger verification practices, responsible AI systems, media literacy and greater accountability from digital platforms.

The effectiveness of protests has always relied on information dissemination regarding the protest itself, grievances being voiced, and getting public attention. However, the rise of AI technology has changed how information is produced, communicated, and processed in connection with protests. Deepfakes, AI-generated images, voice cloning, and manipulated videos make it much harder to tell whether something that you see is authentic. Unlike traditional misinformation, which usually employs false headlines or misleading video footage, AI technology can produce believable scenes of events that didn’t actually take place. A video of a protester making an inappropriate statement, a fabricated record of a politician making a significant announcement, or a computer-generated image of violence can be circulated before anyone bothers to question their authenticity.

Impact of Deepfakes on Public Perception

The impact of fake footage extends beyond individual instances of........

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