The Pope in a puffer jacket wasn’t real. A UBC historian explains why you couldn’t tell, and what happens next.

Join Sip Smarter Vancouver at Bimini’s in Kitsilano for an evening talk over drinks on deepfakes, digital deception and the future of online trust.

You have probably seen a dozen deepfakes without realizing it, and the technology behind them is getting harder to catch every day. This talk explains how we got here and why the old rules for spotting fakes no longer work. A UBC historian who advises governments on digital policy walks us through the history of political fabrication, the modern explosion of AI-generated media, and what public policy and everyday citizens can actually do about it.

Every Sip Smarter talk includes a 45-minute lecture followed by an open Q&A over drinks.

About the speaker: Dr. Heidi Tworek is a Canada Research Chair and Professor of History and Public Policy at the University of British Columbia, where she directs the Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions. An internationally recognized expert on media, health communication and democratic governance, she regularly advises governments and tech policy groups worldwide on online harms, misinformation and the regulation of digital platforms.

“The only thing better than learning is the conversation after.”

Presented by: Sip Smarter Vancouver (Curated talks over drinks)

Date: Tuesday, October 20, 2026

Timings: 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM (PDT), duration 2 hours 30 minutes

Venue: Bimini’s Since 1975 (Kitsilano)

Address: 2010 West 4th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V6J 1M9, Canada

Format: In person

Speaker: Dr. Heidi Tworek, Canada Research Chair and Professor of History and Public Policy, UBC (Director, Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions)

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