Don’t just trust what you watch!

Imagine you receive a video message on your WhatsApp showing a friend or a close relative doing something embarrassing. The video looks real. The face, voice, and surroundings are familiar. You watch it and believe it. This video was sent to you by other friends or relatives, whom have also perhaps shared with others too. What was intended as a joke suddenly becomes a source of embarrassment, hurt feelings, and family tension. The person (friend or relative) in the video may never have done what appears on the screen, but the emotional damage is real.
Now imagine a similar video spreading across an entire community, claiming that a public figure, be it a director of a governmental institution, and/or a senior executive of a reputed organisation, has made a shocking announcement. People panic, rumors spread, and trust begins to crumble. By the time someone confirms that the video was fabricated, the damage may already be done.
These are all not just stories; these all may as well be factual incidents. Whether to believe them or not, is the dilemma today. My advice is that you don’t just trust what you watch!
In a world where artificial intelligence can make almost anything look real, how do we identify whether a video is genuine or fake? As an experienced technologist, I can confidently tell you that AI has made video creation astonishingly easy. With a simple text prompt, a photograph, or a short recording, today's AI tools can generate realistic faces, imitate voices, recreate movements, and produce scenes that never happened. Someone can make a person appear to speak words they never said, or show them in a place they have never visited. And the technology is improving rapidly. What once required professional equipment, technical expertise, and hours of editing can now be done by ordinary people using accessible tools. Even experienced viewers can struggle to distinguish a convincing AI-generated video from a genuine recording.
A recent 2026 study I came across recently found that almost 70% of 514 adults surveyed failed to correctly identify all the real and fake videos they were shown. I, personally, am among them too. In fact, I now have the challenge identifying whether the videos that my dad forwards for me to check are real or just fake.
In my humble opinion, the biggest danger is not simply that AI can create fake videos. It is that we may lose the ability to trust genuine ones. So, what can we do? Here are a few practical steps that I personally follow in order to help identify a video is fake:
First, look closely at the details. Watch for unnatural facial expressions, strange hand movements, distorted objects, inconsistent lighting, or lips that do not match the spoken words. Secondly, listen carefully. Does the voice sound natural? Are there unusual pauses, strange pronunciations, or changes in tone? A familiar voice alone is no guarantee that the video is real. Thirdly and most importantly, check the source. Who originally posted or sent the video? Is it from a trusted news/media organization, an official government or establishment account, or is it just from an unknown WhatsApp number? Looking for the same story on reliable websites (and sources) will mostly help find the legitimacy of the same. Try and search for the original video. Finally, pause before sharing. If a video is shocking, embarrassing, or emotionally upsetting, take a moment to verify it. Contact the person involved directly if necessary.
Alhamdulilah, technology continues to bring us incredible opportunities, but it also comes with responsibilities. We cannot rely solely on our eyes and ears anymore. The ability to question, verify, and think critically is becoming just as important as technology itself. The next time a video arrives in your WhatsApp group, remember: Just because you can see it, does not mean it happened. Furthermore, remember that modern AI tools continue to improve and avoid many of the flaws I shared above. So be wary!
Until we catch up again next week. Be vigilant and don’t just trust what you watch!