Ethics of Deepfakes in Historical Reconstruction for Film and Museums

Kato Nabirye H.

Faculty of Business, Kampala International University, Uganda

                                                                     ABSTRACT
The emergence of deepfake technology has introduced both transformative opportunities and profound ethical challenges for historical reconstruction in film and museums. Powered primarily by generative adversarial networks (GANs) and related machine-learning techniques, deepfakes enable the creation of highly realistic audiovisual representations of historical figures and events, often indistinguishable from authentic archival footage. While these tools can enhance public engagement, restore fragmented cultural heritage, and expand access to historical narratives, they simultaneously raise concerns regarding authenticity, provenance, consent, and epistemic integrity. This paper examines the ethical implications of deploying deepfakes in historical reconstruction, focusing on tensions between educational value and risks of misinformation, distortion, and manipulation of collective memory. It further explores issues of attribution, transparency, and cultural sensitivity, emphasizing the importance of consent not only from individuals but also from communities whose histories are being reconstructed. The study argues that without robust governance frameworks, deepfakes may undermine trust in historical representation. It concludes that responsible innovation anchored in transparency, accountability, and ethical oversight is essential to ensure that deepfake technologies serve as tools for historical enrichment rather than distortion.

Keywords: Deepfakes; Historical Reconstruction; Ethics; Authenticity; and Museum Studies.

CITE AS: Kato Nabirye H. (2026). Ethics of Deepfakes in Historical Reconstruction for Film and Museums. NEWPORT INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LAW, COMMUNICATION AND LANGUAGES, 6(2):53-57
https://doi.org/10.59298/NIJLCL/2026/6.2.5357