Generative AI—deepfakes—have captured the imagination of some and struck fear in others. Although they vary in their form and creation, deepfakes refer to text, image, audio, or video that has been automatically synthesized by a machine-learning system. Deepfakes are the latest in a long line of techniques used to manipulate reality, yet their introduction poses new opportunities and risks due to the democratized access to what would have historically been the purview of Hollywood-style studios. Hany Farid, professor of electrical engineering & computer sciences and the School of Information at the University of California, Berkeley will discuss the decades long trajectory of technologies used to distort reality, how these latest AI powered technologies work, how deepfakes are being used and misused, and if (and how) they can be distinguished from reality.