Dubai Police has warned that rapid advances in deepfake and generative artificial intelligence technology could make fake images, videos and audio increasingly difficult to detect while also eroding public trust in authentic content.

According to a new study by the Dubai Police Future Foresight Centre, advances in synthetic content technologies could create serious future challenges for digital security, the credibility of online information and the authentication of digital evidence in investigations.

Brigadier Dr Hamdan Ahmed Hamdan Al Ghassiya, director of the centre, said AI can now imitate people’s faces and voices and generate highly realistic images and videos. These capabilities could be misused for identity theft, fraud, digital deception and the spread of misleading information.

One of the main concerns highlighted by the study is the potential erosion of public trust in authentic content. As deepfakes become more widespread, even genuine images, videos and audio recordings could be dismissed as fake.

Dubai Police said the challenge in the future would not only be detecting manipulated content, but also proving that images, videos and audio files are authentic.

The study stressed the need to verify the source and authenticity of digital content and use advanced technologies to identify manipulation. AI tools and digital forensic methods can help detect fake content, but public awareness and fact-checking skills will also be essential.

According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2026, misinformation and disinformation rank as the second most significant global risk over the next two years, according to experts.

The Dubai Police study was conducted to coincide with Cybersecurity Awareness Month in October and as part of the UAE Ministry of Interior’s “The UAE Is Safe Through Your Digital Awareness” campaign. The campaign is being implemented in collaboration with Dubai Police and the Dubai Electronic Security Centre.

Dubai Police stressed that addressing future threats will require not only the detection of fake content, but also the preservation of public trust in authentic information and stronger public capacity to identify credible content.