Fake Image Detection System - Project Report
1. Problem Statement
Deepfakes are synthetic media in which a persons likeness is convincingly replaced or altered using
deep learning techniques. While these technologies have creative and entertainment uses, they are
increasingly being misused to spread misinformation, impersonate individuals, and compromise
digital trust.
The problem lies in the rapid advancement and accessibility of generative models like GANs, which
can produce hyper-realistic images and videos. Manual detection is ineffective against such
sophistication, necessitating automated solutions.
Our goal is to develop a robust and scalable deep learning system that can accurately differentiate
between authentic and manipulated images using facial features. The solution must be efficient,
interpretable, and suitable for real-world deployment.
2. Introduction
The rise of artificial intelligence and deep learning has led to powerful tools capable of generating
hyper-realistic visual content. One of the most concerning applications of these tools is the creation
of deepfake media, particularly images and videos of human faces.
Traditional detection methods, such as pixel-level analysis or forensic techniques, often fall short
when dealing with sophisticated manipulations. Hence, a deep learning approach is better suited for
such tasks, as it can learn complex patterns of manipulation across millions of samples.
This project utilizes a combination of the MTCNN (Multi-Task Cascaded Convolutional Networks) for
face detection and InceptionResNetV1, a highly efficient facial recognition model, for classification.
Our system uses the large-scale VGGFace2 dataset for training, enabling it to generalize well
across different faces, lighting conditions, and manipulation techniques.
3. Literature Survey
The field of deepfake detection has gained momentum over the past few years. Various academic
studies and open-source projects have proposed detection systems using convolutional neural
networks (CNNs), recurrent neural networks (RNNs), and ensemble methods.
Some research uses frequency domain analysis to catch inconsistencies invisible to the human eye,
while others focus on temporal coherence in videos. Common architectures include XceptionNet,
ResNet, and EfficientNet, all of which have been evaluated on datasets like FaceForensics++,
Celeb-DF, and VGGFace2.
Interpretability has also become a critical aspect. Techniques like Grad-CAM allow researchers and
developers to visualize what the model is focusing on, enhancing the trustworthiness of the
detection system. Our project draws on these foundations, integrating state-of-the-art techniques
into a compact and deployable architecture.
4. Methodology
The architecture of the system is structured in a pipeline with the following key components:
1. **Face Detection**: Using MTCNN, we detect and extract facial regions from the input image.
This focuses the analysis solely on the area of interest.
2. **Preprocessing**: Faces are resized, normalized, and formatted for the classifier.
3. **Classification**: InceptionResNetV1, a hybrid of Inception and ResNet architectures, is used to
classify faces as real or fake. It leverages transfer learning from VGGFace2.
4. **Visualization**: Grad-CAM highlights the facial regions that contributed most to the models
prediction, increasing transparency.
Tools used include:
- PyTorch for deep learning
- Gradio for building the user interface
- OpenCV and PIL for image processing
- Grad-CAM for model interpretability
5. Result
The system was trained on a subset of the VGGFace2 dataset, which contains over 3.1 million
images. The training achieved a validation accuracy of 95.6%, indicating high generalization and
robustness in distinguishing real and fake images.
Several test cases were evaluated, showing accurate classification along with meaningful
Grad-CAM visualizations. For example, fake images often showed model attention around
inconsistent facial boundaries or lighting artifacts. Real images displayed a more holistic attention
map across symmetrical facial features.
These results demonstrate the practical utility of the system for both research and real-world
applications.
6. Conclusion and Future Scope
The proposed deepfake detection system effectively combines strong face detection (MTCNN) with
powerful classification (InceptionResNetV1), supported by clear interpretability via Grad-CAM. With
over 95% accuracy, the system stands as a viable solution for automated image authenticity
verification.
**Future Enhancements**:
- Extend to video deepfakes, capturing temporal inconsistencies
- Real-time detection in live streams and video calls
- Integrate audio deepfake analysis using NLP
- Improve multilingual and mobile support through enhanced interfaces
As synthetic media continues to evolve, such detection systems will be vital in maintaining trust
across digital platforms.
