![Deepfake voices deceive people – but not the brain (1) Deepfake voices deceive people – but not the brain (1)](https://i0.wp.com/www.swissinfo.ch/content/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2024/06/55072490_highres.jpg)
The brain reacts differently to artificially imitated voices than to real ones. This happens even if people do not recognise the so-called deepfake voices as fake, according to a study by the University of Zurich in the journal Communications Biology.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/ts
-
Deutsch
de
Deepfake-Stimmen täuschen Menschen – nicht aber das Gehirn Original
Read more: Deepfake-Stimmen täuschen Menschen – nicht aber das Gehirn
Check out our selection of newsletters.Subscribehere.
Deepfake technologies can imitate a person’s unique voice profile very accurately. This is used, for example, for fraud attempts on the telephone, the university wrote in a press release on Wednesday.
For the study, the researchers recorded the voices of four male speakers and converted them into deepfake voices using computer algorithms. Twenty-five test subjects had to decide whether two voices they heard were identical or whether one of them was a deepfake voice.
In two-thirds of cases, the deepfake identities were correctly assigned. “This illustrates that although actual deepfake voices do not perfectly mimic identity, they have the potential to deceive people’s perceptions,” first author Claudia Roswandowitz was quoted as saying in the press release.
Brain areas react differently
However, the brains of the test subjects showed a different picture: the so-called nucleus accumbens, a component of the brain’s reward system, was much more active when both voices shown to the test subjects were natural voices. In contrast, the auditory cortex, which is responsible for analysing sounds, was more active when one of the two voices was a deepfake voice.
Roswandowitz concluded that humans can therefore only be partially deceived by deepfakes.
Translated from German by DeepL/ts
This news story has been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team. At SWI swissinfo.ch we select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate it into English. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles.
If you want to know more about how we work, have a lookhere, and if you have feedback on this news story please write toenglish@swissinfo.ch.
External Content
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again. Almost finished… We need to confirm your email address. To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you.
![Deepfake voices deceive people – but not the brain (2) Deepfake voices deceive people – but not the brain (2)](https://i0.wp.com/www.swissinfo.ch/content/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2024/05/604207240_highres.jpg)
More
Switzerland says it can’t afford to take part in Copernicus programme
Read more: Switzerland says it can’t afford to take part in Copernicus programme![Deepfake voices deceive people – but not the brain (3) Deepfake voices deceive people – but not the brain (3)](https://i0.wp.com/www.swissinfo.ch/content/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2024/04/67684924_highres.jpg)
More
Workplace Switzerland
How Switzerland plans to tackle its labour shortage
Read more: How Switzerland plans to tackle its labour shortage![Deepfake voices deceive people – but not the brain (4) Deepfake voices deceive people – but not the brain (4)](https://i0.wp.com/www.swissinfo.ch/content/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2024/05/611957070_highres.jpg)
More
Culture
Switzerland wins Eurovision Song Contest 2024
Read more: Switzerland wins Eurovision Song Contest 2024![Deepfake voices deceive people – but not the brain (5) Deepfake voices deceive people – but not the brain (5)](https://i0.wp.com/www.swissinfo.ch/content/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2024/05/535402133_highres-1.jpg)
More
Workplace Switzerland
Owning a home is becoming increasingly difficult in Switzerland
Read more: Owning a home is becoming increasingly difficult in Switzerland![Deepfake voices deceive people – but not the brain (6) Deepfake voices deceive people – but not the brain (6)](https://i0.wp.com/www.swissinfo.ch/content/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2024/05/2RM8MBN.jpg)
More
Life & Aging
Swiss village of Lauterbrunnen mulls Venice-style tourist entry charge
Read more: Swiss village of Lauterbrunnen mulls Venice-style tourist entry chargeMore
Debate
![Deepfake voices deceive people – but not the brain (7) Deepfake voices deceive people – but not the brain (7)](https://i0.wp.com/www.swissinfo.ch/content/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2023/12/katy-romy-profileImage-42390267.png)
Hosted by: Katy Romy
June 9 votes in Switzerland: how can healthcare costs be reined in?
On June 9, Swiss voters decided on two initiatives aimed at capping the cost of healthcare in the country. Have your say on the issue here.
Join the discussion
More
Debate
![Deepfake voices deceive people – but not the brain (8) Deepfake voices deceive people – but not the brain (8)](https://i0.wp.com/www.swissinfo.ch/content/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2023/12/bruno-kaufmann-profileImage-45267633.png)
Hosted by: Bruno Kaufmann
How can democracy be enhanced in schools?
How can we improve democracy education to better prepare students for civic engagement?
Join the discussion
1
Likes
29
Comments
More
Debate
![Deepfake voices deceive people – but not the brain (9) Deepfake voices deceive people – but not the brain (9)](https://i0.wp.com/www.swissinfo.ch/content/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2023/12/elena-servettaz-profileImage-47952835.jpg)
Hosted by: Elena Servettaz
Should politics be kept out of sporting and cultural events?
Cultural and sporting events are being increasingly politicised. Is this a problem?
Join the discussion
6
Likes
8
Comments
News
![Deepfake voices deceive people – but not the brain (10) Deepfake voices deceive people – but not the brain (10)](https://i0.wp.com/www.swissinfo.ch/content/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2024/06/74476310_highres.jpg)
More
Swiss law on underage marriage set to be tightened
This content was published on Switzerland is tightening its regulations on marriages of minors.
Read more: Swiss law on underage marriage set to be tightened![Deepfake voices deceive people – but not the brain (11) Deepfake voices deceive people – but not the brain (11)](https://i0.wp.com/www.swissinfo.ch/content/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2024/06/471874843_highres.jpg)
More
Counting irregularities: Swiss vote to be repeated
This content was published on The canton of Zug will repeat the vote on the transparency initiative on September 22.
Read more: Counting irregularities: Swiss vote to be repeated![Deepfake voices deceive people – but not the brain (12) Deepfake voices deceive people – but not the brain (12)](https://i0.wp.com/www.swissinfo.ch/content/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2024/06/277747445_highres.jpg)
More
Crocodiles from Lausanne find new home in Morocco
This content was published on Sixteen young West African crocodiles bred by the Aquatis aquarium in Lausanne have been transported to Morocco.
Read more: Crocodiles from Lausanne find new home in Morocco![Deepfake voices deceive people – but not the brain (13) Deepfake voices deceive people – but not the brain (13)](https://i0.wp.com/www.swissinfo.ch/content/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2024/06/456399098_highres.jpg)
More
Swiss coat of arms on national team jerseys – legal at last?
This content was published on Swiss national sports teams should be allowed to legally wear the Swiss coat of arms on their shirts in future.
Read more: Swiss coat of arms on national team jerseys – legal at last?![Deepfake voices deceive people – but not the brain (14) Deepfake voices deceive people – but not the brain (14)](https://i0.wp.com/www.swissinfo.ch/content/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2024/06/599356995_highres.jpg)
More
Swiss Re expects more cascading effects from natural disasters
This content was published on Natural disasters can not only cause extensive damage to property and claim lives.
Read more: Swiss Re expects more cascading effects from natural disasters![Deepfake voices deceive people – but not the brain (15) Deepfake voices deceive people – but not the brain (15)](https://i0.wp.com/www.swissinfo.ch/content/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2024/06/562468160_highres.jpg)
More
Swiss parliament rejects European climate ruling
This content was published on After the Senate, the Swiss House of Representatives has criticised the climate ruling of the European Court of Human Rights.
Read more: Swiss parliament rejects European climate ruling![Deepfake voices deceive people – but not the brain (16) Deepfake voices deceive people – but not the brain (16)](https://i0.wp.com/www.swissinfo.ch/content/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2024/06/615813734_highres.jpg)
More
Louise Bourgeois remains among bestsellers at Art Basel
This content was published on Galleries have already reported numerous sales in the millions on the first day of Art Basel.
Read more: Louise Bourgeois remains among bestsellers at Art Basel![Deepfake voices deceive people – but not the brain (17) Deepfake voices deceive people – but not the brain (17)](https://i0.wp.com/www.swissinfo.ch/content/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2024/06/614921368_highres.jpg)
More
Swiss employees more dissatisfied but few want to change jobs
This content was published on Employees in Switzerland are increasingly dissatisfied. There is also often a lack of emotional attachment to the employer. However, only a few want to change jobs.
Read more: Swiss employees more dissatisfied but few want to change jobs![Deepfake voices deceive people – but not the brain (18) Deepfake voices deceive people – but not the brain (18)](https://i0.wp.com/www.swissinfo.ch/content/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2024/06/607336855_highres.jpg)
More
Swiss diocese of Sion criticised for handling of victims of sexual abuse
This content was published on The hearing of victims of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church was inappropriate in many cases in the diocese of Sion. This is the conclusion of an external and independent audit of the diocese's handling of abuse.
Read more: Swiss diocese of Sion criticised for handling of victims of sexual abuse![Deepfake voices deceive people – but not the brain (19) Deepfake voices deceive people – but not the brain (19)](https://i0.wp.com/www.swissinfo.ch/content/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2024/06/564945404_highres.jpg)
More
Two-thirds of Swiss in favour of single health insurance fund
This content was published on In a survey, two-thirds of Swiss support abolishing health insurance companies in favour of a single health insurance fund.
Read more: Two-thirds of Swiss in favour of single health insurance fundIn compliance with the JTI standards
More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.