One of the world’s leading digital forensics experts is sounding the alarm after admitting that artificial intelligence (AI) has become so powerful that even seasoned specialists can no longer reliably tell what is real and what is fake.

The warning comes as deepfake technology explodes worldwide, fueling fraud, political manipulation, identity theft, and sophisticated scams that experts fear could soon overwhelm society’s ability to distinguish reality from fiction.

Even Experts Are Being Fooled

According to a report from The New York Times, renowned digital forensics expert Hany Farid says artificial intelligence has advanced so rapidly that many of the traditional methods used to identify fake images and videos are no longer effective.

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Farid, a professor at the UC Berkeley School of Information and senior faculty adviser at the Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity, has spent decades exposing digital manipulation and online deception.

Now, he says the technology is advancing faster than humans can keep up.

“I don’t trust anything,” Farid admitted.

“Every image I see, I’m drawing lines for shadows and doing geometry in my head, trying to figure out what I’m looking at.

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“It’s over,” he warned.

“Within a year or two, our whole visual system will be utterly useless.”

Farid explained that AI systems have become remarkably skilled at reproducing details that once exposed fake content, including realistic shadows, facial expressions, environmental lighting, sound, plant life, and even physical motion.

The result is a growing flood of synthetic content that is increasingly indistinguishable from reality.

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Deepfake Explosion Fuels Global Fraud Surge

The warning comes as deepfake technology is being weaponized on an unprecedented scale.

According to cybersecurity firm DeepStrike, the number of deepfake files circulating online has exploded from roughly 500,000 in 2023 to more than 8 million in 2025.

During the same period, fraud attempts linked to AI-generated content reportedly surged by more than 3,000 percent worldwide.

Experts warn that criminals are now using artificial intelligence to impersonate family members, business executives, political leaders, celebrities, and government officials.

In many cases, victims are unable to distinguish fake voices, videos, or photographs from authentic ones.

Big Tech Accused of Ignoring the Risks

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Farid reserved some of his strongest criticism for Silicon Valley companies racing to develop increasingly powerful AI systems.

“I can’t stand this place anymore,” he said.

“These major tech giants will burn everything to the ground as long as they’re making a profit.

“They’re not interested in anything that’s going to slow them down.”

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Farid has worked extensively in both the public and private sectors.

He helped develop Microsoft’s PhotoDNA technology used to identify child exploitation material and has collaborated with the U.S. military on systems designed to detect deepfake videos.

Yet despite years spent fighting digital deception, he now says the pace of AI development has become deeply concerning.

AI Fighting AI

With human detection increasingly failing, experts are turning to artificial intelligence itself as a potential defense.

Tools such as Deepfake-O-Meter and Farid’s own company, GetReal Security, use AI systems to analyze images, videos, and audio recordings for signs of manipulation.

At the same time, technology companies and researchers are pushing for new authentication standards designed to verify the origin of digital content.

One initiative, known as Content Credentials, would allow images to carry a digital record showing how they were created and whether they have been altered.

Supporters argue such systems could become essential as AI-generated content floods the internet.

Scammers Exploiting the Technology

Experts warn that deepfakes are already being used in a growing range of scams targeting ordinary Americans.

According to AI detection firm Copyleaks, emerging threats include fake celebrity endorsements, romance scams using AI-generated identities, fraudulent emergency calls that mimic loved ones’ voices, fabricated surveillance footage, and fake political videos designed to manipulate voters.

As the technology becomes cheaper and more accessible, researchers fear the threat will only intensify.

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Farid’s warning underscores a growing concern among cybersecurity professionals: society may be entering an era where seeing is no longer believing.

For decades, photographs and videos were considered some of the strongest forms of evidence available.

Now, even one of the world’s foremost experts says that confidence is rapidly disappearing.

READ MORE – Top Executives Sound Alarm Over AI-Developed Biological Weapons