On the uncertain certain: The politics of deepfakes in the counterpoise of the unthought.

This article examines the instability of truth and reality in the digital age, particularly in relation to deepfake technology, synthetic media, and the proliferation of disinformation. Drawing on media ecology, philosophy, and literary poetics, it explores how epistemic authority becomes indeterminate when knowledge is mediated by artificial intelligence, surveillance capitalism, and algorithmic processes. The project *Checking In*, a collaboration between poet and media artist Adeena Karasick and Canadian digital media artist Jim Andrews, serves as a techno-aesthetic investigation into how "reality" is remixed and fragmented, highlighting the challenges of discerning fact from fiction in a decentralized, data-saturated environment. The article situates these concerns within broader philosophical frameworks, emphasizing that certainty and truth are perpetually elusive and socially negotiated rather than fixed or absolute.