How to spot synthetic media

No single pixel test catches everything — combine **visual cues, context, and verification**.

1. **Pause before sharing** — urgency is a common manipulation tactic

2. **Check the source** — official channel, known account, reverse image search

3. **Look for artifacts** — weird hands, teeth, earrings, hairline, shadow direction

4. **Listen closely** — robotic cadence, missing breaths, background noise mismatch

5. **Cross-verify the claim** — would this event appear on multiple news outlets?

6. **Check labels** — platform AI disclosure, C2PA metadata if available

| Signal | Synthetic hint |

|--------|----------------|

| Lip sync | Words don't match mouth shape |

| Eyes | Unnatural blink rate or gaze |

| Edges | Face blur vs sharp background |

| Context | Impossible location or timestamp |

Don't amplify. Ask the alleged speaker through a **separate trusted channel**.

**Try the lessons:** `deepfakes-synthetic-media` (Lane A) · `spot-wrong-answers` (Lane B)