Deepfakes and synthetic media are no longer fringe concerns—they’re everyday risks. Audio, video, and images can now be fabricated or altered so convincingly that most stakeholders can’t tell the difference in real time. For organizations, that means an angry customer, a disgruntled former employee, or a bad actor could push a false but believable story about your leaders, products, or safety record into the public conversation in minutes.
The best way to prepare is to treat deepfakes as an operational risk, not just a PR headache. Start by deciding who owns each step: who spots and escalates suspicious content, who verifies whether it’s authentic, and who decides if and how the organization should respond. It also helps to have simple, pre-approved language ready to explain how you verify audio, video, or screenshots, so your team isn’t trying to write from scratch under pressure. And don’t forget to train executives and spokespersons on what to do if they’re shown a fake of themselves during an interview or town hall.
Scenario-based practice is where this preparation starts to feel real. Try running short tabletop exercises around three situations your team could easily imagine, such as: a fake video of your CEO announcing layoffs, a synthetic audio recording of a clinician giving dangerous advice, or a manipulated clip of a construction incident that exaggerates your negligence. For each scenario, ask: What is our first move? How quickly can we investigate authenticity? When do we go public, and what proof can we offer? Organizations that do this work now will be much better positioned to reduce confusion, reassure employees and customers, and keep a false narrative from becoming the story of record.
