The Big Story: Are you confident in identifying deep fakes? Think again.

Associate Professor Terence Sim from NUS Computing was featured on Money FM 89.3’s The Big Story (aired 2 July 2025), where he discussed the growing threat of deepfakes and the urgent need to bridge the gap between public confidence and actual ability to detect such content. Citing findings from a recent national cybersecurity survey, Dr Sim noted that while nearly 80% of Singaporeans believed they could identify deepfakes, only 25% were able to do so correctly, highlighting a dangerous overconfidence that could increase vulnerability to scams.

He explained how advancements in generative AI have made deepfakes more convincing and harder to detect using traditional cues like lip-sync mismatches. Emphasising the importance of cyber hygiene, Dr Sim likened deepfake preparedness to pandemic readiness, where education, personal vigilance, and coordinated action are essential. He also shared how NUS Computing has launched community anti-scam workshops to raise awareness and equip the public with practical tools to spot fakes. Dr Sim called for a whole-of-society approach, combining public education, stronger regulation, and platform-level safeguards to counter the evolving landscape of AI-driven threats.

Money FM 89.3, 2 July 2025