There’s a rise in deepfake content including fake pornographic material featuring celebrities like Taylor Swift and photorealistic but fake images of conflict zones like Gaza. With deepfake-creating tools becoming more accessible, the spread of such deceptive content continues to increase.
Research by the Pew Center shows that around two-thirds of Americans encounter modified videos and images intended to mislead, with 15% encountering them frequently. In a survey of AI experts by Axios and Syracuse University, 62% identified misinformation as the primary challenge in maintaining the authenticity of news in the AI-generated content era.
So, what’s the solution? Is there one?
According to Michael Matias, a cybersecurity specialist and the co-founder and CEO of Clarity, the answer lies in deepfake detection technology. Clarity, founded in 2022, focuses on spotting AI-manipulated media, particularly video and audio.
Clarity is among numerous vendors striving to develop deepfake-spotting tools. Other players include Reality Defender, offering a platform for isolating text, video, and image deepfakes, as well as Sentinel, which specializes in detecting deepfaked images and videos.
Distinguishing Clarity’s offerings from others is challenging, as they offer a scanning tool available through an app and API, utilizing various AI models trained to identify patterns in deepfake creation techniques across videos, images, and audio. Additionally, Clarity provides a form of watermarking for clients to mark their content as authentic.
Matias asserts that Clarity’s differentiators lie in its rapid response to emerging types of deepfakes, leveraging AI while operating as a cybersecurity company. Matias compares deepfakes to viruses, stating that Clarity’s solution is designed to adapt and respond to new threats, built with infrastructure and AI models dedicated to achieving this.
Precision in the deepfake detection realm remains a moving target. Despite advancements in expertise and technology, keeping up with the rate of improvement in deepfake-creating apps is a challenge. Major players like Google, Microsoft, and AWS are exploring more advanced watermarking and metadata measures as alternative options to combat deepfakes.
Despite the difficulties, Clarity has successfully secured support. The New York-based startup, with 13 employees, recently closed a $16 million seed round co-led by Walden Catalyst Ventures and Bessemer Venture Partners, with participation from Secret Chord Ventures, Ascend Ventures, and Flying Fish Partners.
Initially targeting news publishers and the public sector, including the Israeli government, Clarity now caters to identity verification providers and other large enterprises. Matias claims the company is assisting in authenticating and verifying videos from the Israel-Hamas conflict.
“This is a fast-paced arms race, just like traditional cybersecurity,” Matias said. “Any company that wants to tackle deepfakes needs to move as fast as those creating and spreading them are.”
