Is Seeing Believing? Evaluating Human Sensitivity to Synthetic Video

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Wegmann, David, Stevnsborg, Emil, Knudsen, Søren, Rossi, Luca, Mottelson, Aske
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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author Wegmann, David
Stevnsborg, Emil
Knudsen, Søren
Rossi, Luca
Mottelson, Aske
author_facet Wegmann, David
Stevnsborg, Emil
Knudsen, Søren
Rossi, Luca
Mottelson, Aske
contents Advances in machine learning have enabled the creation of realistic synthetic videos known as deepfakes. As deepfakes proliferate, concerns about rapid spread of disinformation and manipulation of public perception are mounting. Despite the alarming implications, our understanding of how individuals perceive synthetic media remains limited, obstructing the development of effective mitigation strategies. This paper aims to narrow this gap by investigating human responses to visual and auditory distortions of videos and deepfake-generated visuals and narration. In two between-subjects experiments, we study whether audio-visual distortions affect cognitive processing, such as subjective credibility assessment and objective learning outcomes. A third study reveals that artifacts from deepfakes influence credibility. The three studies show that video distortions and deepfake artifacts can reduce credibility. Our research contributes to the ongoing exploration of the cognitive processes involved in the evaluation and perception of synthetic videos, and underscores the need for further theory development concerning deepfake exposure.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2603_13846
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Is Seeing Believing? Evaluating Human Sensitivity to Synthetic Video
Wegmann, David
Stevnsborg, Emil
Knudsen, Søren
Rossi, Luca
Mottelson, Aske
Human-Computer Interaction
Artificial Intelligence
Advances in machine learning have enabled the creation of realistic synthetic videos known as deepfakes. As deepfakes proliferate, concerns about rapid spread of disinformation and manipulation of public perception are mounting. Despite the alarming implications, our understanding of how individuals perceive synthetic media remains limited, obstructing the development of effective mitigation strategies. This paper aims to narrow this gap by investigating human responses to visual and auditory distortions of videos and deepfake-generated visuals and narration. In two between-subjects experiments, we study whether audio-visual distortions affect cognitive processing, such as subjective credibility assessment and objective learning outcomes. A third study reveals that artifacts from deepfakes influence credibility. The three studies show that video distortions and deepfake artifacts can reduce credibility. Our research contributes to the ongoing exploration of the cognitive processes involved in the evaluation and perception of synthetic videos, and underscores the need for further theory development concerning deepfake exposure.
title Is Seeing Believing? Evaluating Human Sensitivity to Synthetic Video
topic Human-Computer Interaction
Artificial Intelligence
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.13846