Features of fake content in the media space in the era of artificial intelligence development

The subject of the research in this article is the specificity of fake content in the conditions of active development of artificial intelligence (AI). The first half of 2023 demonstrated how serious an impact AI can have on the life of society in general, and on the information agenda in particular. In the era of a continuous stream of received data, it is increasingly difficult to verify the content and critically comprehend all the information received. The so-called deepfakes have become a truly relevant media threat that can cause mass unrest and affect the mood of the audience. In this regard, it is relevant and important to study fakes created by AI in order to identify ways to detect and expose them. The article touches upon such important aspects as the concept and characteristic features of fake content as a threat to information security, the distinctive features of deepfakes as an AI product, and presents key steps for recognizing fakes. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the disclosure of the role of deepfakes in the modern information space, the dangers they carry (including due to their instant replication through social networks) and options to combat them within the media consumption of a wide audience. Moreover, it demonstrates the need to develop further steps to increase the level of media literacy and to anticipate the negative consequences that fakes can cause.