What is Synthetic media?

Synthetic media is the umbrella term for any media — image, video, audio, text, 3D — generated, modified, or substantially edited by AI rather than directly captured from the physical world. The category includes AI UGC photos, virtual influencers, AI-generated voiceovers, AI-written articles, AI-rendered video clips, AI-generated music, AI-translated dubbing, and hybrid assets where a real capture is modified by AI (generative fill, background replacement, AI-relighting). Synthetic media is the technically neutral parent category; deepfake is a specific subcategory defined by intent (impersonation of a real identity); AI UGC is another subcategory defined by use case (UGC-style brand content with synthetic personas). Disclosure expectations vary by platform and jurisdiction: Meta, TikTok, YouTube, and LinkedIn all now require AI-content labels on certain synthetic-media categories; the EU AI Act mandates clear disclosure for high-risk synthetic content; and the FTC's revised endorsement guides require disclosure when synthetic media could mislead consumers about endorsements. The industry has converged on C2PA, SynthID, and IPTC AI metadata as the technical-provenance standards that travel with the file across distribution.