Deepfakes and Higher Education: A Research Agenda and Scoping Review of Synthetic Media

The availability of software which can produce convincing, yet synthetic media poses both threats and benefits to tertiary education globally. While other forms of synthetic media exist, this study focuses on deepfakes: advanced Generative AI (GenAI) imitations of real people’s likeness or voice. This conceptual paper assesses the current literature on deepfakes across multiple disciplines by conducting an initial scoping review of 182 peer-reviewed publications. The review reveals three major trends: detection methods, malicious applications, and potential benefits, although no specific studies on deepfakes in the tertiary educational context were found. Following a discussion of these trends, we apply the findings to postulate the major risks and potential mitigation strategies of deepfake technologies in higher education, as well as potential beneficial uses to aid the teaching and learning of both deepfakes and synthetic media. This culminates in the proposal of a research agenda to build a comprehensive, cross-cultural approach to investigate deepfakes in higher education.