Synthetic Media

What is Synthetic Media?

Synthetic media is any content ( images, video, audio, or text ) that has been created by AI rather than filmed, recorded, or written by a human. It ranges from AI-generated concept art to realistic deepfake videos, and its creative potential and ethical risks are both significant.

At a glance

Also known as
AI-generated contentDeepfake (for manipulated video/audio)Generative mediaAI content
Used for
AI image and video generationSynthetic voice and audioVirtual humans and digital doublesPre-production visualisationLarge-scale content personalisation
Common tools
MidjourneySoraElevenLabsHeyGenRunwayStable diffusionSynthesia
Related terms
DeepfakeGenerative AIText-to-imageText-to-videoDigital doubleMulti-modal AI

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How it compares

How it compares

Synthetic MediaDeepfake

Deepfake is a specific and often pejorative subset of synthetic media: typically referring to AI-manipulated video or audio that convincingly replaces or fabricates a real person's likeness or voice, often without consent. Synthetic media is the broader category that includes all AI-generated or AI-altered content, much of which is transparently artificial, consensually produced, and ethically created. Not all synthetic media is a deepfake, but all deepfakes are synthetic media.

Think of it like…

Synthetic media is to traditional media what a flight simulator is to an actual aircraft. A flight simulator generates a convincing representation of the experience of flying ( realistic visuals, sounds, and physical responses ) without any real aircraft being involved. Similarly, synthetic media generates convincing representations of reality ( people, places, events, voices ) without capturing those things from the real world. Both are powerful, legitimate tools in their proper context, and dangerous when mistaken for the real thing.

Pro tip

When incorporating synthetic media into professional productions, document its use from the outset: which elements are AI-generated, which tools were used, and what consents were obtained for any real likenesses or voices. As disclosure requirements become law in more jurisdictions and platforms implement AI content labelling, this documentation will be essential for compliance, and establishing the habit now protects both you and your clients.

Types and variations

Synthetic media encompasses several distinct categories: synthetic images (AI-generated still imagery from text prompts or reference images); synthetic video (AI-generated or AI-manipulated moving image content, including text-to-video, face swapping, and deepfakes); synthetic audio (AI-generated voices, music, and sound effects, including voice cloning); synthetic text (AI-generated written content including scripts, articles, and dialogue); virtual humans (fully AI-generated interactive characters combining synthetic appearance, voice, and conversational intelligence); and mixed synthetic media (content combining real and AI-generated elements, such as AI-generated backgrounds composited with live actors).

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Common use cases

  • Synthetic media is used across pre-production (AI-generated storyboards, previsualisations, and concept art), production (AI extras, virtual sets, synthetic voice as placeholder or final audio), post-production (de-ageing, digital doubles, background generation, voice cloning for ADR), advertising (personalised video content at scale, synthetic spokesperson talent), education and training (AI-generated instructional content, synthetic role-play scenarios), and accessibility (AI voice synthesis for content localisation and audio description).
  • Deepfake-adjacent synthetic media is also used in entertainment for legacy casting: recreating the appearance of deceased or unavailable performers with appropriate consent.

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FAQs

Is synthetic media legal to create and distribute?
In most jurisdictions, creating synthetic media for clearly fictional or creative purposes is legal. However, creating non-consensual deepfakes of real individuals: particularly sexual content or politically misleading material: is illegal or is rapidly becoming so in many countries. Commercial use of synthetic likenesses without consent may also infringe on personality rights. Always consult the legal framework of your jurisdiction and the platform's terms of service.
How can audiences distinguish synthetic media from real content?
Automated detection tools exist but are imperfect and lag behind generation capabilities. Watermarking standards such as the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA) are being adopted by major platforms to embed verifiable metadata in content. Critical media literacy ( scepticism about unverified emotional or political content ) remains the most reliable human defence.
What are the ethical obligations when using synthetic voices?
Using a synthetic voice that resembles a real person without their consent is ethically problematic and potentially illegal. Even when using AI-generated voices that do not resemble specific individuals, disclosure to audiences is increasingly expected. Voice actors whose performances have been used to train AI synthesis tools have also raised significant consent and compensation concerns that the industry is actively addressing.
How is synthetic media affecting the entertainment industry workforce?
Synthetic media creates new roles — AI prompt artists, synthetic media supervisors, deepfake detection specialists: while displacing or compressing others, particularly in areas such as background casting, stock photography, and certain categories of voice work. The 2023 SAG-AFTRA strikes highlighted performer consent and compensation for AI use of likeness as central collective bargaining issues.
What is C2PA and how does it relate to synthetic media?
C2PA (Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity) is an open technical standard for attaching verifiable provenance metadata to media files, indicating where and how content was created or modified. It allows platforms, journalists, and consumers to verify whether content has been AI-generated or altered. Major technology companies including Adobe, Microsoft, and Google are signatories, and C2PA support is being built into creative tools.
Can synthetic media be used for deceased performers?
With appropriate estate consent and ethical handling, synthetic likenesses of deceased performers are used in film and television: restoring archival footage, continuing characters in established franchises, and creating tribute content. This practice is ethically contentious and is subject to varying legal protections across jurisdictions. Industry bodies are developing clearer standards for posthumous synthetic performance.
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