How to Spot Deepfakes and AI-Generated Content: An Experiment with Meteorite News

In my previous article, “How Neural Networks Are Changing Our World and How to Adapt to New Challenges” I discussed how to adapt to the new reality we live in, specifically concerning the abundance of content generated by neural networks. In this article, I want to demonstrate just how easy it is to create fake information, how to skillfully recognize lies, and how to perceive information correctly.

So, imagine you are scrolling through your news feed, and suddenly your eyes land on a shocking headline!

URGENT MESSAGE: Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) Confirms High Probability of Asteroid 2026-KD4 Collision with Earth

GENEVA/HOUSTON, February 23, 2026 — A joint team of astrophysicists from NASA, ESA, and Roscosmos has published an official memorandum confirming that the celestial body previously cataloged as 2026-KD4 (code name “Chronos”) has entered a trajectory for an inevitable collision with our planet. The estimated atmospheric entry time is February 24, 2026, at 23:48 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).

The object belongs to the Apollo group and has an estimated diameter of 110 to 140 meters. According to the latest telemetry data obtained by the Deep Space Network radio telescopes, the probability of an impact event has exceeded statistical error margins and stands at 99.98%.

Analysis of Trajectory and Impact Zone

Dr. Elizabeth Vance, Chair of Orbital Dynamics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), noted in a press statement that Jupiter’s gravitational influence corrected the asteroid’s orbit more drastically than initial models suggested.

“We have run over fifty thousand Monte Carlo simulations in the last 48 hours. Unfortunately, the object has passed through a so-called ‘gravitational keyhole,’ making the collision inevitable from the perspective of celestial mechanics. Currently, 2026-KD4 is moving at a speed of 18.6 km/s relative to Earth. The calculated entry point into the dense layers of the atmosphere is located over the southern Pacific Ocean, approximately 1,500 kilometers east of New Zealand (impact coordinates are being refined: sector 48° S, 165° W).”

Energy Potential and Consequences

Professor of the Astrophysical Center at Pulkovo Observatory, Dr. Dmitry Sokolov, commented on the possible consequences of the impact. According to him, the asteroid’s composition plays a key role in the event scenario.

“Spectral analysis of the object’s albedo indicates that we are dealing with a dense iron-nickel meteorite of class M. This means it will not completely disintegrate in the upper atmosphere, as happens with chondrites. We predict the preservation of up to 60% of the body’s mass until impact with the ocean surface. The released kinetic energy will be approximately 40-50 megatons of TNT equivalent. This is a local catastrophe, but not a planetary-scale event threatening civilization. The main threat is the formation of a shock wave and a tsunami up to 15-20 meters high, which will reach the coasts within 3-4 hours after impact.”

Response Measures

The International Committee on Space Safety has already sent recommendations to the governments of the Pacific region. A “Red Code” has been declared for maritime and aviation navigation within a radius of 3,000 kilometers from the estimated epicenter.

The scientific community continues continuous monitoring of object 2026-KD4 to refine the final atmospheric entry parameters. The next briefing is scheduled in 6 hours.

Sounds terrifying, doesn’t it? It’s written scientifically, and quotes from scientists are included. What should you do? Urgently look for a bunker or learn “The Lord’s Prayer”? Don’t rush—as you have probably guessed, this is a typical fake written by a neural network.

The Process of Creating a Fake

It took me two minutes to create this news story. I asked Gemini Pro to create a fake news report using a scientific style and quotes from scientists. Of course, if I wanted to, I could have spent more time making the news look even more “scientific,” but the main goal was to show how easily and simply such fakes are created.

How to Recognize a Fake?

Turn on your critical thinking and look for the following things:

1. The source where you read the news. This is perhaps one of the main factors at the moment. Major publications usually have their own fact-checking departments and value their reputation. Upon receiving such information, they would verify it themselves, and upon identifying a clear fake, they simply wouldn’t publish it. If you read it on some “no-name” website or a random blog on a social platform, you can assume with 99% probability that it is fake.

2. Indirect signs. If the news were true, it would be replicated by hundreds of media outlets. It is enough to type the headline of this news into a search engine to verify that, apart from a couple of shady sites, no one has written about it. That means there is nothing to worry about.

3. Check the facts. Even if you are far from astrophysics and don’t know that the date of discovery is encrypted in the asteroid name 2026-KD4, which contradicts the publication date (the first letter after the year denotes the half-month of discovery; in our case, ‘K’ stands for the second half of May, which hasn’t happened yet in the story’s timeline), you can use neural networks yourself and ask them to analyze the news. Gemini itself cited six different signs that it was fake. For instance, even a quick fact-check of the scientists’ names cited would show that they are either invented or do not correspond to their positions.

Thus, by spending a few minutes on simple logical operations, we can determine with 99.9% certainty that this is a fake and breathe a sigh of relief.

Information Perception Algorithm

The meteorite example is slightly exaggerated. In most cases, the news feed flies by in the background, and such “shocking” news is rare. However, the general principle of correct perception can be reduced to the following algorithm:

1. Pay attention only to information that can somehow affect you or interests you based on certain criteria. Ignore everything else or a priori consider it a possible fake.
2. Verify the credibility of this information using critical thinking and fact-checking.
3. Determine the probability of reliability, and if it is high, reflect on how this might affect you and think through further actions.

Why Does Anyone Create Fakes?

There are several reasons. But first and foremost, money. Fake news with clickbait headlines generates huge advertising revenue for site and blog owners. News that a meteorite will fall on us tomorrow will bring a thousand times more clicks than an article on how to recognize fakes.

They are also used for propaganda purposes, fraudulent schemes, and some do it simply for pleasure to stroke their ego. Let’s not forget about the “hallucinations” of neural networks, which are now actively used to create content.

In any case, the ability to distinguish fakes in the modern world is one of the key skills. It will help you not only save your money and avoid being a puppet in someone else’s games but also make the right decisions in life. Be smarter, be ready for modern challenges!