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LSE: The Ballpark | AI and deepfakes with Dr Gili Vidan

In the last decade or so, the the public have become aware of “deepfakes”, computer or AI generated fake images. The spread of deepfakes raises questions about truth and authenticity online – can we still trust what we see on screen?
In the last decade or so, the the public have become aware of “deepfakes”, computer or AI generated fake images. The spread of deepfakes raises questions about truth and authenticity online – can we still trust what we see on screen?
Monday 1 December 2025 | 38 minutes 8 seconds
Listen on SoundCloudDownload File | 52.38MB

As long as there has been photographic and video imagery, there have been manipulated videos and photos. But only in the last decade or so have the public become aware of what are known as "deepfakes", computer or AI generated fake images, often of celebrities. The spread of deepfake imagery raises questions about truth and authenticity online – can we still trust what we see on screen?

As long as there has been photographic and video imagery, there have been manipulated videos and photos. But only in the last decade or so have the public become aware of what are known as "deepfakes", computer or AI generated fake images, often of celebrities. The spread of deepfake imagery raises questions about truth and authenticity online – can we still trust what we see on screen?

To discuss deepfakes, and the idea of trust and authenticity in the digital sphere more broadly, the Phelan US Centre spoke to Dr Gili Vidan, Assistant Professor of Information Science at Cornell University’s Ann S. Bowers College of Computing and Information Science.

This episode was produced by Chris Gilson and Avan Fata.

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