Countering Deepfakes using an Improved Advanced CNN and its Ensemble with Pretrained Models
A. K. Mathur, Kshitiz Bhargava, Manvendra Singh, Moulik Tejpal, Krishnaraj Natarajan · 2024
The extensive spread of DeepFake images on the internet has emerged as a significant challenge, with applications ranging from harmless entertainment to harmful acts like blackmail, misinformation, and spreading false propaganda. To tackle this issue, this paper introduces a sophisticated DeepFake detection model designed to identify and mitigate the increase of these deceptive images. The model architecture integrates an ensemble approach, combining the strengths of two pre-trained Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) models—MobileNet and Xception—with a novel CNN architecture, the Advanced CNN (ACNN). This rigorous validation process enabled the model to achieve a high accuracy rate of 97.89% in detecting DeepFakes. The successful implementation of this ensemble CNN approach demonstrates its effectiveness in distinguishing between real and fabricated imagery with high precision. This research makes a substantial contribution to the field of digital image forensics, offering a reliable tool for stakeholders across various sectors to identify and counteract the spread of DeepFake images online.