Deepfakes have arrived to US elections, with a faked audio call purporting to be Joe Biden reaching voters in New Hampshire earlier this year.
Artificial intelligence tools allow people to create spoofed audio easily and cheaply – so easily and cheaply that a journalist can do it!
We created some fake audio clips of both Biden and Donald Trump using Parrot AI, an app with audio renditions of public figures that users can input words into. You can make audio of what sounds like Biden, Trump or a host of other high-profile speaking, and it sounds real-ish.
Just how real depends on the discerning ear of the listener. This quiz includes both real audio clips from public remarks Trump and Biden have made and fake clips that we created in Parrot AI.
Listen to the audio clips below and then answer the quiz questions. Can you tell the difference between what’s real and what’s fake?
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Clip 1 above, with Biden saying "How in the hell dare he raise that": Real or fake?
Real
Fake
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In Clip 2, Trump talks about a snake. Is this real or fake?
Real
Fake
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Clip 3 has Biden calling someone a "lying dog-faced pony soldier." Real or fake?
Real
Fake
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In Clip 4, Biden says "you're short on ears". Is this real or fake?
Real
Fake
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Is Clip 5, where Trump talks about how he was too good as president, real or fake?
Real
Fake
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In Clip 6, Biden says "lots of luck in your senior year". Is it real or fake?
Real
Fake
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In Clip 7, Trump compliments Beyonce. Is this real or fake?
Real
Fake
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In Clip 8, Biden talks about someone writing in his yearbook. Is this real or fake?
Real
Fake
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Clip 9 has Trump saying he made toilets great again. Is this real or fake?
Real
Fake
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In Clip 10, Trump talks about how often people have to flush toilets. Real or fake?
Real
Fake
Solutions
1:A - This is real. Biden said it in response to a report that questioned his memory and brought up his son's death. , 2:A - This is real. Trump has read this poem, "The Snake," on the campaign trail in 2017 to speak against immigration. , 3:A - This is real. Biden said it in response to a woman's question in 2020 and said it was a John Wayne quote, though it's not clear if it actually is., 4:B - This is fake, though it's an actual John Wayne quote. We created the audio fake using Parrot AI. , 5:B - This is fake, created using Parrot AI., 6:A - This is real. Biden said this during the 2023 State of the Union, perplexing many. , 7:B - This is fake, created using Parrot AI. , 8:B - This is fake. We created the audio using Parrot AI. , 9:B - This is fake, created using Parrot AI., 10:A - This is real. Trump talked about his gripes with low-flow toilets in 2019.
Scores
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10 and above.
Nothing gets past you! You're ready to knock down all the viral deepfakes that'll trip people up in 2024.
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9 and above.
Look at you! You'll be the friend people turn to when they see a potential deepfake, looking for your expert advice.
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8 and above.
Look at you! You'll be the friend people turn to when they see a potential deepfake, looking for your expert advice.
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7 and above.
You're getting there! With a little practice, you'll be ready to debunk deepfakes this year.
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6 and above.
You're getting there! With a little practice, you'll be ready to debunk deepfakes this year.
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5 and above.
Not too shabby! You were able to identify a few instances of audio correctly.
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4 and above.
Not too shabby! You were able to identify a few instances of audio correctly.
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3 and above.
Not too shabby! You were able to identify a few instances of audio correctly.
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2 and above.
It's hard out there, trying to figure out what's real and what's not. Better luck next time!
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1 and above.
It's hard out there, trying to figure out what's real and what's not. Better luck next time!
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0 and above.
It's hard out there, trying to figure out what's real and what's not. Better luck next time!
