The problem is that this verification/fact checking is often flimsy or nonexistent, even in places where it exists. You don't need a deepfake or AI or whatever

The problem is that this verification/fact checking is often flimsy or nonexistent, even in places where it exists. You don't need a deepfake or AI or whatever to get a story about the US president into the media, you could basically send a random tip off on social media or a few blurry photos of a piece of paper and have a bunch of sites immediately rush out and post articles about it. It's definitely better for respectable publications than tabloids or random blogs, but still, getting a story covered doesn't take much in the way of convincing evidence in this day and age.