Abstract for: Counteracting the Threat of Deepfakes through the Authentication of Digital Educational Material in a University

In lockstep with other forms of disinformation, deepfakes alter reality, albeit in a manner that can be rendered as being more authentic and difficult to detect. Malicious intents to defraud that give rise to deepfakes can hold deleterious ramifications for society, inclusive of international security (“The Rise of Artificial Intelligence,” 2023). It is important to understand deepfakes from a sociotechnical perspective, as opposed from use of a piecemeal approach, which attempts to snuff out deepfakes that are randomly unearthed and observed (Gibson, 2023). Moreover, since society is “woefully underprepared” to handle the influx and proliferation of deepfakes, which a typical person will presume as credible, a means to confirm the credibility of what is real is necessary (Lightman, 2023). Thus, it is prudent to employ proactive measures to safeguard what is deemed as valuable. Since education is a source of freedom for individuals and engenders a robust and harmonious society (Sherif, 2023), it is imperative that the integrity of digital educational materials are preserved in the age of deepfakes. The focus of the study here involves a major university that is authenticating their digital educational material using Blockchain technology in order counteract the potential effects of deepfakes