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KYC in the Age of AI and Deepfakes
Did your bank account ever get frozen? What did the bank personnel suggest to make it work again? Of course, to upgrade your KYC. This word means “Know Your Customer”. It is the verification process used by financial companies, banks, organizations, etc., to confirm customers’ identities. The process is smooth. You only have to submit their suggested form along with some necessary documents. However, with the advent of artificial intelligence, KYC is facing new threats. One of them is deepfakes.
What Are Deepfakes?
Often, people use AI to create images, videos, audio recordings, and more playfully. Nowadays, these are being made deliberately to fake people’s identities. Using just a few real pictures or voice clips, a deepfake video can show a person saying something they never actually said. Deepfakes are getting so perfect that it is becoming harder to spot whether they are real. Fraudsters use them for fake news, identity theft, scams, etc. Naturally, the businesses that rely on online identity checks face serious problems.
How is AI Faking Technology Related to Artificial Intelligence Putting KYC at Risk?
Primarily, KYC helps companies prevent fraudulent activity or other crimes. Usually, people send in a photo ID, a selfie, and maybe a short video. Generally, AI-powered systems check the authenticity of the proofs submitted..
However, what if a scammer uses AI faking technology to create a fake face, voice, or passport photo? These deepfakes can easily surpass the checking system. As a result, verification methods like KYC are insufficient to prevent malpractices.
That is why deepfake detection is becoming crucial in today’s world.
Artificial Intelligence And Deepfakes:
Undoubtedly, technology is the greatest human invention ever. And AI proves to be the best technological innovation because it can stop deepfakes, which is again a product of AI itself. Advanced tools like Reality Defender Deepfake Detection use AI to detect if the videos or images are fake. They do this by looking closely and finding minute errors that indicate a video or image is fake. Such errors can be abnormal blinking of the eyes, artificial and untimely movement of lips, etc. Reality Defender can catch these deepfakes as soon as they are uploaded or shared. So, they can protect companies and their customers from fraud.
What Other Measures Companies Can Take:
In this age of deepfakes, companies must update their technology and take some steps, like,
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Stay updated with the latest tools and threats.
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Companies must take other steps, including video interviews, behavior analysis, and more, instead of relying only on KYCs.
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Train their staff to spot possible deepfakes or suspicious activities.
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Use advanced AI detection tools.
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AI-powered document analysis can also help to detect subtle inconsistencies in font, layout, etc.
Conclusion:
Artificial intelligence can be good and bad at the same time. So, the fight regarding whether it should, or should not, stay, will never end. However, it is for sure that with time, deepfakes will become more convincing because of the continuous improvement of AI.
It is indeed alarming!
However, the good news is that AI detection technologies are also evolving. Thus, you can now lessen the imminent threat concerning KYC protection. Moreover, companies can protect themselves and their users as well. But, for that, they must consider the power of AI to defend its creation!