NTU study reveals repeated exposure to deepfakes can cause you to believe it

SINGAPORE: A recent multi-country study conducted by researchers at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Singapore has highlighted how viral deepfake videos on social media can influence people’s beliefs, especially when they are exposed to the same content multiple times.

The study, which involved 8,070 participants from Singapore, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, the United States, and Vietnam, focused on deepfake videos featuring prominent figures, including media personality Kim Kardashian.

The researchers found that individuals who had previously encountered a viral deepfake video of Kardashian, which falsely claimed that she manipulates people online for money, were more likely to believe the misleading narrative when shown the video again.

This phenomenon was not isolated to Kardashian alone; similar effects were observed when participants were shown deepfakes of other well-known personalities, such as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and actor Tom Cruise.

The study also revealed significant differences in how people across countries perceived the believability of deepfakes. Singaporeans were found to be the least likely to fall for such deception, followed by respondents from Vietnam and the Philippines. These findings shed light on the varying levels of awareness and skepticism towards deepfakes in different regions.

The NTU team’s study highlights the growing challenges posed by AI-generated content and its potential to shape public opinion, particularly when exposed to the same video multiple times. The findings highlight the importance of media literacy in an era where deepfake technology can manipulate perception and spread misinformation online.