Home / Learn / AI Literacy / Deepfakes and misinformation AI Literacy · Intermediate
Deepfakes and misinformation: how to spot fake images, audio and news A deepfake is audio, video or an image changed or created by AI to show something that did not happen. Misinformation is false information spread by mistake; disinformation is spread on purpose.
Ages 11+ (rough guide)
Level Intermediate
Subject AI Literacy
Time 20 minutes
Format Online + printable 1 Learn it2 See it worked3 Try it online4 Print it5 Check your answerBefore you start
Who it's for and what to know first Stop before sharing. Strong emotions — anger, shock — are exactly what fakes aim for. Check the source: who first posted it? A known news organisation or an anonymous account? Read laterally: open a new tab and search the claim to see what reliable sources say. Reverse image search (for example Google Lens or TinEye) shows where a picture appeared before. Look for clues, but know they are fading: odd hands, blurred text, mismatched lighting. Good fakes may show none. Voice clones are used in scams. Agree a family ‘safe word’ and call back on a known number. Worked example 1
A video shows a politician saying something shocking. It is only on one unknown account. Pause — it is designed to provoke. Search the quote with the politician's name. No reliable outlet reports it and the account is new. Answer: Treat as likely fake; do not share.
Try it online · print it · check it
Practice questions Intermediate · ages 11+
Deepfakes and misinformation Name Date
Answer each question.
1. False information spread on purpose is called… 2. False information spread by mistake is called… 3. Checking a claim by opening new tabs and searching other sources is called lateral… 4. A ‘relative’ phones in a panic asking for money. What should you do first: pay or call back on a known number? 5. Can a good deepfake have no visible mistakes? (yes/no) Answer each question.
1. False information spread on purpose is called… disinformation 2. False information spread by mistake is called… misinformation 3. Checking a claim by opening new tabs and searching other sources is called lateral… reading 4. A ‘relative’ phones in a panic asking for money. What should you do first: pay or call back on a known number? call back 5. Can a good deepfake have no visible mistakes? (yes/no) yes Relying only on spotting visual glitches. Sharing first and checking later. Pause and check the original source before you forward anything shocking. Last reviewed: 25 September 2026
