Digital Detectives: The Science of Media Forensics with Dr. Nikoukhah, GetReal Research Director

In this episode of Deep Dives with Iman, host Iman Mossavat speaks with Dr. Tina Nikoukhah, Director of Research at GetReal Security and recipient of the L’Oréal-UNESCO Young Talent Award. A specialist in media forensics, Tina discusses the increasing sophistication of synthetic media and the blurring of the line between what is real and what appears to be. She describes how GetReal uncovers the "hidden fingerprints" left by image and video processing, and how techniques like watermarking and C2PA, a kind of "nutrition label" for content, help track manipulation. Passive analysis methods and metadata inspection offer further insight into content authenticity. Tina emphasizes the foundational role of mathematics and signal processing in the field, as well as the broader challenge of building public awareness. Rather than labeling content as simply real or fake, Tina stresses the importance of transparency and trust in today's digital media landscape.