Deepfakes as Image-ideograms. From Realism to Symbolic Currency

This paper explores the evolving cultural role of deepfakes, arguing that their primary function is no longer evidentiary but symbolic. Drawing on media theory, meme sociology, and visual culture studies, it introduces the concept of the “image-ideogram”: a recognisable, modular visual sign that circulates rapidly online, conveying stance and emotion rather than truth. The study traces a genealogy from Bazin’s “indexical photography” to Baudrillard’s “simulacra” and Steyerl’s “poor images”, framing deepfakes as linguistic tools within a hypermemetic economy. Empirical cases – DeepTomCruise, Macron Disco, Trump Gaza, and Ernesto – illustrate how synthetic videos operate as emotional and rhetorical packets, not as deception. Despite technological sophistication, deepfakes are rarely persuasive; their impact lies in shaping perception and public discourse. The paper argues that viewers interpret deepfakes similarly to emojis or GIFs: as context-dependent emblems. Ultimately, deepfakes exemplify a broader shift from realism to symbolic currency, where images act as agents in cultural exchange rather than as proofs of reality.