Synthetic media content is any image, video, audio, or text that has been generated or substantially altered by artificial intelligence rather than captured directly from reality. It covers everything from AI chatbots and voice clones to deepfake video and AI-generated illustrations.
As generative tools have become cheaper and more accessible, the line between human-made and machine-made content has blurred across social platforms, which is why so many apps and services now label or disclose AI involvement. Knowing how to spot synthetic media helps you judge what you are actually looking at.
Also called: AI-generated content, generative media, deepfake content, AI media, machine-generated content