#958

Deepfakes And Deep Trouble

Hoaxes Have Happened Before

So many of the archaeological discoveries of early man were not really the bones of prehistoric humans as first proposed. In an article detailing ten of these attempts to hoodwink the masses we read this:

When it comes to unearthing the ancient origins of humankind or solving the mystery of  vanished American colony, people want to believe. And that makes them easy targets of archaeological hoaxes. Practical jokers have fabricated “Viking” artifacts, “prehistoric” human remains, and “biblical” relics that have pulled the wool over the public’s eyes.

Piltdown Man is just one of many:

In 1912, amateur archaeologist Charles Dawson contacted the National History Museum in London to report his discovery of a strange skull near the village of Piltdown in East Sussex, England. The museum’s Keeper of Geology, Arthur Smith Woodward, joined Dawson at the dig site and they uncovered additional bones and tools, which Smith Woodward later identified as belonging to a previously unknown human ancestor living 500,000 years ago—the alleged “missing link” in the evolutionary trajectory from ape to human. Beginning in 1949, however, scientists used new technology to determine the age of the artifacts, and concluded that the cranium couldn’t be more than 50,000 years old, while the jawbone wasn’t even human. It belonged to an ape species—likely an orangutan—and its teeth had been filed to look less simian. The hoaxer has never been identified.

And yet many pointed to this “find” as real and evidence of evolution. Another hoax was based on a Biblical reference from Genesis 6 and called he Cardiff Giant:

This 10-foot-tall, alleged petrified man was discovered in 1869 by workers digging a well in Cardiff, New York. The giant was actually manufactured from a block of gypsum and shipped to a farm in Cardiff, where it was buried for a year before being found by the well builders. P.T. Barnum offered to buy it and was turned down, so he had his own built and claimed his was real and the Cardiff Giant was a fake. They were both proven fake in 1870.

According to another article the fake was a way of making Bible believers look dumb.

That Was Then

Obviously grifters will always try and pull the wool over the public’s eyes, but now they have ways to do it no other generation could dream of using. In an article from Prophecy NewsWatch we’re told that a digital impersonation of a high ranking US government official almost fooled others in the federal, state and even some in the international leadership:

A quiet but deeply unsettling breach in diplomatic integrity recently occurred, and it should serve as a thunderclap warning to the rest of us: we are just one deepfake away from an international crisis that could reshape how we live, work, and move through the online world.

The author gives us the details of this digital fakery:

In June 2025, foreign officials received Signal messages from what appeared to be U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. These weren't generic phishing attempts or obvious scams. They included AI-generated voice messages, realistic branding mimicking "state.gov" communication, and highly credible language. The targets? A member of Congress, a U.S. governor, and at least three foreign ministers.

The US government was prompt in making light of the incident, but the danger is there:

Though the U.S. State Department was quick to downplay the event, a classified diplomatic cable revealed serious concern: not only had high-level foreign policy contacts been tricked, but the incident reflected a rapidly evolving threat--AI-driven impersonation with real-world influence. What was once the stuff of spy thrillers is now a credible method of social engineering that could tip the balance in diplomacy, markets, or even national security.

And it’s not just government deception where this is happening:

The Rubio impersonation is not an isolated case. Earlier this year, a finance manager at a multinational firm in Hong Kong was duped into transferring $25 million after joining a Zoom call filled with familiar colleagues--none of whom were real. Each was generated by AI, complete with facial expressions, gestures, and matching voices. By the time the fraud was uncovered, the money had vanished.

In the brave new world we live in it appears it will get harder and harder to know what is real and what isn’t:

These examples illustrate a terrifying truth: synthetic deception isn't just possible--it's effective.

AI-generated videos and audio clips have already been used to manipulate public opinion, spread disinformation, and exploit individuals. And now we've crossed into even more serious territory: diplomatic manipulation.

Some Potential Scenarios

We read in the article that the dangers of deepfakes can affect just about all of us in a variety of ways:

If one deepfake can trick foreign ministers, imagine what a truly sophisticated campaign could do. Consider these hypothetical--but entirely plausible--scenarios:

  • Stock Market Manipulation: A deepfake video of a Federal Reserve official announcing a surprise rate hike goes viral. Automated trading bots react within seconds, tanking markets before a correction can be issued. Billions are lost in minutes.
  • Military Escalation: A video surfaces of a world leader declaring war--seemingly verified, spreading across social platforms before authorities can deny it. One misinterpreted signal could prompt a retaliatory strike, costing lives.
  • National Emergencies: A deepfake emergency broadcast warns citizens to evacuate a major city due to a fake nuclear threat. Panic erupts. Infrastructure is overwhelmed. Real lives are endangered over a fabrication.
  • Criminal Fraud & Pranks: A TikTok creator uses AI to impersonate a celebrity and "confesses" to a crime or leaks a scandal. The video goes viral, sponsors are dropped, and reputations destroyed--all for clicks and ad revenue.

Right now there are social influencers that have huge followings and they don’t even pretend they are real people. In another article we see that some of these accounts are generating income and the AI creations have modeling contracts as if they were real. Unfortunately people think they are real and some people want to date them. So yes, they are that realistic.

How We Protect Ourselves

This is where this whole AI conundrum moves to Revelation 13 mark of the beast territory:

We've already seen how easily people fall for impersonations. What happens when these tools are used in real-time, at scale, with malicious intent?

Here lies the chilling part. When a catastrophic deepfake finally hits--when it shakes markets, prompts military action, or triggers a crisis--the public will demand a fix. The most likely answer? Centralized digital identity verification.

I’ve reported on this before when an eye scanner hit the market and that could play a part in proving who is real and who isn’t, but regardless access to important data and services are already being discussed and formulated:

Governments and tech firms are already preparing this future. The European Union is pushing its Digital Identity Wallet, intended to unify access to banking, healthcare, and government services. In the U.S., biometric authentication and encrypted digital credentials are gaining traction as solutions to fraud.

As we saw with the pandemic suggested actions can soon become required:

After a major deepfake incident, such systems won't be optional--they'll be mandatory. Pitched as a matter of "national security" or "public trust," centralized ID systems will likely be implemented across platforms. You'll need to verify your identity not just for banking or travel--but to post, comment, email, or even access parts of the internet. This is how freedoms shift--not with a vote, but with a crisis.

One Panic Away

In America it took a terrorist attack on 9/11/2001 for us to take measures to prevent another attack, measures that had the danger of being used against our freedoms and I and others think that’s already happened. The question is if we are one deepfake away from digital surveillance systems being implemented. The article goes back to the initial incident to make that point:

The Rubio deepfake incident is a warning shot. It shows us that AI-generated deception isn't speculative anymore--it's here. It can reach the halls of power. It can fool governors, foreign leaders, and possibly you.

How will it unfold? Is our government protecting against it? Or perhaps they want it to happen. We simply don’t know, but it’s not just theoretical now, it is a tangible threat:

We are one major incident away--one forged message, one fake voice, one viral lie--from a digital catastrophe. And when that moment comes, the global response will fundamentally reshape our rights, our privacy, and our online presence. We will be told it's for our safety. And many will cheer. But the deeper truth is this: what we cannot trust, we will try to control. And in that effort, we may surrender more than we expect. So the question is no longer whether a deepfake could cause a crisis. It's what we'll become after it does.

What do I think? Well, fear isn’t an option for believers. Nor is panic or anxiety. While we do know that a one world government is in Bible prophecy and the control it brings is definitely on the horizon we are given the job of working against it now. We should also use the emerging technology to evangelize. While we can’t stop it, we can slow it down. Pray that Holy Spirit will give us the wisdom to see what we can do in the hindering or restraining process. And then give us courage and ability to do it.