Deepfakes in the Classroom: The Impending Crisis of Epistemic Trust in Media Studies

Abstract

This qualitative systematic review examines the profound epistemic disruption caused by the proliferation of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) and deepfake technologies within educational contexts, specifically focusing on media studies pedagogy. As synthetic media evolves from the alteration of authentic artifacts to the wholesale fabrication of reality, traditional media literacy frameworks, which rely heavily on source metadata and visual anomaly detection, are increasingly rendered obsolete. This review synthesizes current literature across media studies, educational philosophy, and cognitive psychology to articulate the unique threat deepfakes pose to "epistemic trust," including the phenomenon of the "liar's dividend" and the resulting shift from healthy critical skepticism to paralytic digital cynicism among students. Findings indicate an urgent need for a paradigm shift in media literacy education. Pedagogical responses must move beyond technical detection software to incorporate critical algorithmic literacy, philosophical interventions grounded in epistemology, and institutional governance frameworks. The study concludes that educational institutions must systemically integrate synthetic media awareness across curricula to preserve the foundational trust required for democratic participation and evidence-based learning.