Deepfakes aren’t just a future threat — they’re a current crisis. In this episode of Common Ground, Shane, Amandalynne, and Logan unpack how deepfakes are weaponized by foreign adversaries and scammers alike, from multimillion-dollar fraud to political disinformation. Whether it's voice cloning or AI-generated faces, the tools of deception are now cheap, fast, and frighteningly effective.

“You used to say, ‘If you didn’t see it, it didn’t happen.’ Now even if you see it, it still might not be real.” — Logan

What’s in this episode:

* The Hong Kong finance scam that cost $25.6 million

* Voice cloning in under 5 seconds

* Grandparent scams powered by AI

* Deepfakes in political violence and protest footage

* Why media literacy is now national security

What do you think?Have you seen a deepfake that fooled you? What safeguards should be in place for public trust in a post-truth age? Drop your thoughts in the comments.

About Common Ground:A podcast by the Sentinel Research Society that tackles national security threats through smart, nonpartisan conversation. We find what unites us, not what divides us.

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