PodcastsAITechReality is losing the deepfake warWhy AI labeling efforts are falling flat in the face of slop, disinformation, and messy metadata standards.by Nilay PatelFeb 5, 2026, 3:00 PM UTCLinkSharePodcastsAITechReality is losing the deepfake warWhy AI labeling efforts are falling flat in the face of slop, disinformation, and messy metadata standards.by Nilay PatelFeb 5, 2026, 3:00 PM UTCLinkShareNilay Patel is editor-in-chief of The Verge, host of the Decoder podcast, and co-host of The Vergecast.Today, were going to talk about reality, and whether we can label photos and videos to protect our shared understanding of the world around us. No really, were gonna go there.
KEY DETAILS:
• Its a deep one.To do this, Im going to bring on Verge reporter Jess Weatherbed, who covers creative tools for us a space thats been totally upended by generative AI in a huge variety of ways with an equally huge number of responses from artists, creatives, and the huge number of people who consume that art and creative output out in the world.If youve been listening to this show or my other show The Vergecast, or even just been reading The Verge these past several years, you know weve been talking about how the photos and videos taken by our phones are getting more and more processed and AI-generated for years now.
• Here in 2026, were in the middle of a full-on reality crisis, as fake and manipulated ultra-believable images and videos flood social platforms at scale and without regard for responsibility, norms, or even basic decency.
• The White House is sharing AI-manipulated images of people getting arrested and defiantly saying it simply wont stop when asked about it.
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