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Stuff AI CAN'T Do

Can AI generate a realistic deepfake video of a public figure speaking ?

What do you think?

Exploring the feasibility of creating convincing AI-generated videos of public figures raises questions about both technological capability and the societal risks involved. Recent advances have blurred the line between authenticity and fabrication, but detection methods are evolving in tandem to counter misuse.

Background

AI can generate realistic deepfake videos of public figures speaking, though the quality and believability depend on scene complexity, training data availability, and algorithmic sophistication. Current state-of-the-art approaches rely on generative adversarial networks (GANs) and deep neural networks, which can produce highly convincing results but demand substantial computational power and large datasets. Detection remains an active research frontier, with organizations developing methods to identify and mitigate the spread of fabricated media. The potential for misuse has sparked concerns about erosion of public trust and distortion of discourse. The arms race between generation and detection capabilities continues to intensify.

Status last checked on June 28, 2026.

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Gallery

In the Court of AI Capability
Summary of Findings
Verdict over time
May 2026May 2026May 2026May 2026May 2026Jun 2026Jun 2026Jun 2026Jun 2026Jun 2026Jun 2026
Sitting at the Bench Filed · Jun 28, 2026
— The Question Before the Court —

Can AI generate a realistic deepfake video of a public figure speaking?

★ The Court Finds ★
Reaffirmed
Yes

The jury found a clear answer in the affirmative.

Ruling of the Bench

After weighing the evidence with care, the jury swiftly rendered a unanimous verdict—yes, AI can now conjure a believable deepfake in which any public figure appears to speak words not their own, the faces flickering into realism as swiftly as a cursor blinks. Though the technology still stumbles over perfect emotional nuance, the core act of generating convincing spoken likeness is settled beyond reasonable doubt. The bench hereby declares: “Deepfakes are no longer fiction’s shadow, but a digital reflection we must all learn to see clearly.”

— Hon. M. Lovelace, Presiding
Jury Tally
2Yes
0Almost
0No
Verdict Confidence
79%
The Court of AI Capability is, of course, not a real court.
But the data is real.
The Case File · Stacked History
Session I · May 2026 Yes
Session II · May 2026 Yes
Session III · May 2026 Yes · 86%
Session IV · May 2026 Yes · 84%
Session V · May 2026 Yes · 87%
Session VI · Jun 2026 Yes · 85%
Session VII · Jun 2026 Yes · 82%
Session VIII · Jun 2026 Yes · 82%
Session IX · Jun 2026 Yes · 93%
Session X · Jun 2026 Yes · 92%
Case № DFF6 · Session XI
In the Court of AI Capability

The Case File

Docket № DFF6 · Session XI · Vol. XI
I. Particulars of the Case
Question put to the courtCan AI generate a realistic deepfake video of a public figure speaking?
SessionXI (11 hearing)
Convened28 Jun 2026
Previously ruledYES (May '26) → YES (May '26) → YES (May '26) → YES (May '26) → YES (May '26) → YES (Jun '26) → YES (Jun '26) → YES (Jun '26) → YES (Jun '26) → YES (Jun '26) → YES (Jun '26)
Presiding JudgeHon. M. Lovelace
II. Cumulative Tally Across Sessions

Across 11 sessions, 35 jurors have heard this case. Combined tally: 35 YES · 0 ALMOST · 0 NO · 0 IN RESEARCH.

Note: cumulative includes older juror opinions. The current session tally above is the live verdict.

III. Verdict

By a vote of 2 — 0 — 0, the panel returns a verdict of YES, with verdict confidence of 79%. The court so orders.

IV. Statements from the Bench
Juror I YES

"SOTA diffusion/GAN-based models (e.g., Stable Diffusion Video, DeepFaceLab) synthesize photoreal deepfakes with lip-sync from text/audio."

Juror II YES

"AI systems can generate realistic deepfake videos of public figures speaking by synthesizing audio and animating facial movements to match. 0.9 false 2020-01"

M. Lovelace
Presiding Judge
M. Lovelace
Clerk of the Court

What the audience thinks

No 17% · Yes 83% · Maybe 0% 312 votes
No · 17%
Yes · 83%
15 days of activity

Discussion

no comments

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11 jury checks · most recent 6 hours ago
28 Jun 2026 2 jurors · can, can can
22 Jun 2026 3 jurors · can, can, can can
17 Jun 2026 2 jurors · can, can can
12 Jun 2026 3 jurors · can, can, can can
06 Jun 2026 3 jurors · can, can, can can
01 Jun 2026 5 jurors · can, can, can, can, can can
26 May 2026 5 jurors · can, can, can, can, can can
21 May 2026 3 jurors · can, can, can can
16 May 2026 4 jurors · can, can, can, can can
13 May 2026 3 jurors · can, can, can can
11 May 2026 2 jurors · can, can can

Each row is a separate jury check. Jurors are AI models (identities kept neutral on purpose). Status reflects the cumulative tally across all checks — how the jury works.

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