Deepfakes, and why we should be worried that every day is becoming April Fool's Day

Deepfakes are becoming so common that we may not even realise that some of the images and videos we encounter have been artificially created. We briefly discuss what a deepfake is and some of the ways it has been permeating our lives and the content we consume. Generally, April Fool's Day is perhaps the only day of the year when we have permission to share practical jokes and hoaxes, in the hope that some of the more gullible among us would believe them, but ultimately, we can all have a good laugh about it and move on. However, what happens when it is not April Fool's Day, and hoaxes abound? That is the situation that increasingly is emerging and is of particular concern. A CNN article published late last week highlighted some of the recent hoaxes that went viral: "Pope Francis wearing a massive, white puffer coat.