Refers to digital content—including text, images, audio, video, music, voice, code, avatars, and virtual environments—that is created, modified, or enhanced in whole or in part by artificial intelligence (AI) or other technologies rather than being created solely by recording real-world events or people.

Synthetic media encompasses a broad range of legitimate applications across education, workforce development, healthcare, business, research, entertainment, journalism, and accessibility. It is increasingly used to create realistic simulations, personalized learning experiences, virtual training environments, and other forms of digital content that improve learning, communication, and productivity.

At the same time, synthetic media presents important challenges. Because AI-generated content can closely resemble authentic human-created content, it may be used to spread misinformation, create deceptive deepfakes, impersonate individuals, violate privacy or intellectual property rights, or undermine trust in digital information. As synthetic media becomes more common, organizations and individuals increasingly rely on content authentication, provenance technologies, AI literacy, and responsible governance to distinguish authentic from AI-generated content and promote trustworthy use.

Examples:

• AI-generated simulations for healthcare, manufacturing, and emergency response training
• Virtual instructors and AI tutors for education and workforce development
• AI-generated images, videos, and presentations
• Voice synthesis for accessibility and multilingual communication
• Digital humans and virtual customer service agents
• Synthetic datasets used to train AI while protecting personal privacy
• Deepfake videos or audio designed to deceive or impersonate individuals