cheapfake
/ˈtʃiːpfeɪk/
CommonManipulated media made with simple edits like slowing, cropping, or splicing footage to mislead viewers.
The term was coined to distinguish low-effort manipulation from AI deepfakes. Often more effective than deepfakes because the manipulation is subtle and the footage is technically real.
Real-world examples4 examples
| # | Example | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | it's not a deepfake, it's a cheapfake. they just slowed it down 30 percent | The misleading video used basic speed manipulation, not AI. | x, 2024 |
| 02 | the whole 'he looked confused' clip was a cheapfake. watch the full video | The clip misrepresented someone by removing context, not by generating fake footage. | reddit, 2024 |
| 03 | cheapfakes spread way faster than deepfakes because nobody spots the edit | Simple manipulations are harder to catch than AI-generated content because the footage looks authentic. | x, 2023 |
| 04 | journalists kept saying deepfake but it was just a cheapfake. no AI at all | The media incorrectly described basic video manipulation as AI-generated. | reddit, 2024 |
Use it when
- Describing a manipulated video that uses simple editing rather than AI.
- A viral clip has been slowed, cropped, or stripped of context to change its meaning.
- Distinguishing low-tech manipulation from AI-generated synthetic media.
Do not use it when
- The video was created with AI and does not use real source footage.Use “deepfake” instead.
Cheapfake vs deepfake
cheapfake
Cheapfake uses simple, low-tech edits on real footage. No AI involved.
VS
deepfake
Deepfake uses AI to synthesize or replace faces and voices. The footage itself is generated.
Origin and context
Coined by researchers Nina Jankowicz and Christopher Paul in a 2019 report to describe low-tech video manipulation that was often more dangerous than AI deepfakes because it was harder to detect and easier to produce.
- First seen
- 2019
- Confidence
- high
Cite this page
Use this stable URL to reference the entry.
https://slang.fyi/cheapfakeUpdated: 2026-08-29License: CC BY 4.0