menu
Weekly Online Magazine
ISSN 2544-5839
zamknij
MediaHisttory Podcast image

17.03.2025 Media industry

Deepfake Blurs Truth and Falsehood. Human Perception Research

KFi

Studies indicate that only 60% of deepfake images can be correctly identified by humans. As AI begins to dominate content production, the problem of differentiation fatigue grows – users lose confidence in assessing the authenticity of information and fall into cynicism.
Poczytaj artykuł wydanie polskie w wydaniu polskim

Deepfake Blurs Truth and Falsehood. Human Perception Researchillustration: DALL-E

Researchers Qiang Liu, Lin Wang, and Mengyu Luo from the University of Science and Technology in Shanghai set out to examine how deepfake technology affects the perception of information and users` trust in media. In their article When Seeing Is Not Believing: Self-efficacy and Cynicism in the Era of Intelligent Media, published in Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, they conducted two experiments involving 1,826 participants, analyzing how cynicism toward information changes depending on users` ability to recognize AI-generated content.

The experiments revealed that:

  • Individuals with low self-assessment in recognizing AI content are more likely to question the authenticity of news that is personally significant to them.
  • Low-risk content paradoxically raises more skepticism than content considered high-risk.
  • Users who repeatedly struggle to assess the authenticity of deepfakes lose confidence in their abilities and abandon efforts to verify information.

This phenomenon leads to the so-called "apathetic reality," where audiences choose indifference over critical thinking regarding media consumption.


Why Are We Losing Trust in Media?


The growing cynicism toward AI-generated information is not just a technological issue but also a matter of how audiences process content. Research suggests that users engage more in content analysis when they feel the topic directly affects them.

Data shows that:

Factor Impact on AI Self-Assessment Impact on Cynicism
High content relevance Increased confidence Reduced cynicism
Low content relevance Decreased confidence Increased cynicism
High-risk news Greater inclination to verify Lower level of cynicism
Low-risk news Less interest in verification Higher level of cynicism


The study`s authors highlight the effect of cognitive fatigue. When users repeatedly encounter situations where they cannot distinguish deepfakes from real content, they stop making an effort to check. Ultimately, instead of verifying authenticity, they begin treating all information as potentially unreliable.

What Can We Do?


Experts emphasize that the solution lies not only in developing deepfake detection technologies but also in shaping new media literacy models.

  • Social media platforms should implement more advanced mechanisms for labeling AI-generated content.
  • Users should be trained not only in recognizing fake news but also in consciously processing information in an era of informational chaos.
  • Journalists should make greater use of content verification tools and build communication strategies based on source transparency.

Liu, Wang, and Luo`s study found that even a small increase in users` self-confidence regarding AI leads to a significant reduction in cynicism and greater engagement in content analysis. This means that education and tools supporting content verification can help audiences regain control over what they consider true.

The Future of Trust in Information


Deepfake news is a challenge we will face for years to come. In the age of artificial intelligence, it is not just technology that determines what we believe but also our ability to recognize and critically analyze content. If we do not begin developing skills to navigate the world of synthetic information, we may find ourselves in a reality where we cannot even trust what we see with our own eyes.

* * *
Article by Liu, Q., Wang, L., Luo, M. (2025) When Seeing Is Not Believing: Self-efficacy and Cynicism in the Era of Intelligent Media, published in Nature Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, available at
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-025-04594-5

Share the article:

dodaj na Facebook prześlij przez Messenger dodaj na Twitter dodaj na LinkedIn

COMMERCIAL BREAK
Work In Media

New articles in section Media industry

Paid journalistic content. Market trends and forecasts by Reuters Institute

Krzysztof Fiedorek
Only 18 percent of internet users pay for online news access, and the rate has not increased for the third year in a row. Norway sets records with 42%, while Greece does not exceed 7%. Globally, nearly one in three subscribers cancels after a year.

Gen Alpha avoids tough topics. What young people are really looking for

Krzysztof Fiedorek
Generation Alpha prefers humor in 46% of cases, while only 12% are interested in news and political topics. Young people and children consciously limit what negatively affects their emotions - according to the report "Gen Alpha Unfiltered" published by GWI.

YouTube redefines viewer engagement. Goodbye to returning viewers

KFi
As many as 30% of internet users now turn to YouTube as their main news source, and 65% consume news in video form. Now the platform is shaking things up. Reach still matters, but engagement is what really counts.


See articles on a similar topic:

Women in media 2025. Editorial power knows no equality

KFi
Only 27% of editors-in-chief in the media are women, even though they make up 40% of journalists. In 9 out of 12 countries studied by the Reuters Institute, women in media are less likely to get promoted. It seems that equality in newsrooms is lagging behind broader society. And the gaps go much further.

Television, Trends, and Viewer Habits. EBU Report

Krzysztof Fiedorek
Young Europeans watch television for an average of only 72 minutes a day, and in some countries, less than 30 minutes. Traditional television is giving way to TikTok, Netflix, and YouTube. Viewer habits are changing dramatically before our eyes. What does this mean for the future of media?

Algorithmic personalization study. Who and how understands digital media

KFi
Most internet users believe that everyone sees the same content online. Meanwhile, algorithms personalize messages so effectively that a young woman with higher education receives different information than her father. Researchers reveal who truly understands the mechanisms.

Streaming Services. Rapid Growth of Subscribers in Poland

RINF
Compared to 2020, 20% more Poles declared having a subscription to video streaming services in 2021, according to the *Digital Consumer Trends 2021* report published by Deloitte.

More in the section: Media industry

Work in media

United States
New York • Washington DC • Los Angeles • Chicago • Houston • Phoenix • Philadelphia United Kingdom
London • Birmingham • Manchester • Liverpool • Glasgow • Edinburgh Canada
Toronto • Ottawa • Montreal • Calgary Australia
Sydney • Melbourne • Brisbane • canberra Ireland, New Zealand, India

advertisement

Drones. For PRO. On discount




community

Facebook LinkedIn X Twitter TikTok Instagram Threads Youtube Google News Blue Sky Social RSS

Reporterzy.info - online media studies magazine. The world of communication from the inside. Media, journalism, PR and marketing. Data, reports, analyses, advice. History and market, law, photography, job offers.



Reporter shopping

Reporter shopping

Affordable laptops, notebooks and netbooks
Affordable laptops, notebooks and netbooks
for writing
Digital SLR and compact cameras
Digital SLR and compact cameras
for photographers
Books and e-books about media
Books and e-books about media
for reading
Video drones and flying cameras
Video drones and flying cameras
for pilots
Gimbals for stabilizing video
Gimbals for stabilizing video
for those on the move
Software and apps for creative work
Software and apps for creative work
for digital creators
More occasions

advertisementMedia Review 24/7
Read books and e-books

Read books and e-books

Okładka Media Control. The Spectacular Achievements of Propaganda
Media Control. The Spectacular Achievements of Propaganda
Okładka The 40-Day Social Media Fast
The 40-Day Social Media Fast
Okładka Social Media Marketing All-in-One For Dummies
Social Media Marketing All-in-One For Dummies
Okładka Beyond The Feed: A Social Media Success Formula
Beyond The Feed: A Social Media Success Formula
Okładka Trust Me, I`m Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator
Trust Me, I`m Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator
Okładka Hate, Inc.: Why Today`s Media Makes Us Despise One Another
Hate, Inc.: Why Today`s Media Makes Us Despise One Another
more books and e-books

Reporterzy.info

More about us

Our tools and services

Contact


© Dwornik.pl Bartłomiej Dwornik 2oo1-2o25