Technology 2 min read

Microsoft Unveils Authenticator Software to Spot Deepfakes

Garuna Liu / Shutterstock.com

Garuna Liu / Shutterstock.com

Generative algorithms are so advance that deepfake videos are becoming indistinguishable from reality. Expectedly, such manipulated media poses a threat to society.

The technology can make people believe that something is real when it isn’t, making it a perfect misinformation tool. For this reason, various tech companies are working to tackle the issue.

Google released an open-source deepfake database to expedite the process of developing detection tools. Similarly, Amazon collaborated with Facebook and Microsoft on the Deepfake Detection Challenge.

Now, Microsoft is releasing a new deepfake detection software ahead of the U.S. presidential election. And they’re calling it Video Authenticator.

In a blog post announcement, executives at Microsoft wrote:

“Today, we’re announcing Microsoft Video Authenticator. Video Authenticator can analyze a still photo or video to provide a percentage chance, or confidence score, that the media is artificially manipulated.”

Here’s how it works

Using Video Authenticator Software to Spot Deepfakes

Like other deepfake detection programs, Video Authenticator can analyze a photo or video to provide a confident score of tampering.

For videos, the software provides a real-time percentage of whether each frame has been artificially manipulated. It looks for evidence of tampering that the human eyes might miss.

Microsoft Research developed Video Authenticator using a public dataset from Face Forensic++. After that, the team tested the deepfake detection software on the DeepFake Detection Challenge Dataset.

The AI that generates deepfake videos can continue to learn and get better. As such, it’s inevitable that these manipulated media would eventually beat conventional detection technology.

That’s why advanced detection software such as Video Authenticator is crucial.

“In the short run, such as the upcoming U.S. election, advanced detection technologies can be a useful tool to help discerning users identify deepfakes,” Microsoft said.

With that in mind, the Windows maker partnered with the AI foundation in San Francisco to make the tool available to political campaigns. Also, Microsoft plans to test Video Authenticator software with media organizations such as BBC and the New York Times.

Read More:  Researchers Train Machine Learning Model to Reason Abstractly

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Sumbo Bello

Sumbo Bello is a creative writer who enjoys creating data-driven content for news sites. In his spare time, he plays basketball and listens to Coldplay.

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