Explainer: What are deepfakes, how to spot them
In July 2025, a deepfake video of Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi went viral, claiming over 250 soldiers and six jets were lost in Operation Sindoor.
The catch? The general never said those words—the video used AI to fake his speech.
Officials and fact-checkers quickly called it out as digitally altered and urged everyone to watch out for misleading content.
How do deepfakes work?
Deepfakes use AI to create super-realistic fake videos or audio by swapping faces or voices, making it tough to tell what's real.
With just a few clicks, anyone can make convincing clips that look like actual events—even if they never happened.
Why is this dangerous?
This incident is a wake-up call: deepfakes can easily spread false info about serious topics like military actions, shaking public trust and even national security.
As these tools get easier to use, double-checking what you see online—and relying on trusted sources—matters more than ever.