Combatting Deepfakes and Spoofed Evidence: ForceField Takes on the AI Arms Race
A new startup, ForceField, is making waves at TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 with its innovative solution to the growing problem of deepfakes and manipulated content in the age of artificial intelligence. Their patent-pending API suite, dubbed MARQ, focuses on authenticating content at its source, tackling the issue head-on before it reaches the public eye.
The Looming Threat of AI-Generated Content
The internet is on the verge of an AI content explosion. A 2022 report by Europol predicted that 90% of all online content will be AI-generated by 2026. This surge in synthetic media presents a significant challenge, as it becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish real from fake. Big tech companies like Google and Meta are already taking steps to flag AI-generated images, but the problem is far from solved.
Platforms like YouTube are allowing users to request the removal of content that simulates their likeness, but the sheer volume of potentially manipulated content is overwhelming. This has spurred a wave of startups dedicated to addressing this issue, including Clarity, Reality Defender, and Truepic, all of which have secured substantial funding from leading investors.
ForceField: A New Approach to Content Authenticity
ForceField takes a unique approach by focusing on the device level rather than the content itself. Their technology can be integrated into any device or data stream where ForceField’s API is present, from mobile apps to surveillance cameras and drones. This allows for real-time “signing and hashing for verification” of any data collected.
Chain of Custody: Building Trust Through Transparency
ForceField’s first product, HashMarq, verifies content submissions and designates them as authentic with a badge of authenticity. Unlike other solutions that rely on adversarial AI or watermarking, ForceField establishes a “chain of custody” to prove provenance and detect alterations. This is achieved by analyzing metadata from data streams and connected devices, leveraging blockchain technology to ensure security, transparency, and immutability.
“We’re leveraging blockchain, we’re not using coins or crypto — we’re not a web3 company,” ForceField founder and CEO MC Spano told TechCrunch. “We’re using blockchain in the most innate and purposeful way, which is smart contracting. We authenticate anything collected, like a video, photo, an audio file, a screenshot on a mobile device — but we also secure and authenticate any multimedia collected on any IoT, which means anything from a BlackBerry to a robot. But any streaming data as it’s collected, we’re signing it, we’re hashing it, and then we’re using ledger technology.”
From Personal Experience to a Global Solution
Spano’s inspiration for ForceField stemmed from a personal experience. After being assaulted in New York City, she faced significant obstacles in providing evidence to law enforcement. This led her to realize that the need for robust content authentication extends far beyond the courtroom, impacting individuals, journalists, and institutions alike.
Proof-of-Concept and Future Applications
ForceField is currently developing a proof-of-concept with insurance giant Erie and has letters of intent signed with three additional customers, aiming for a commercial launch in Q1 2025. While insurance will be a key market initially, the potential applications for ForceField’s technology are vast. Citizen journalists, law enforcement agencies, and individuals can all benefit from a system that ensures the authenticity of digital evidence.
“There’s a really big issue with funding solo women teams here in the U.S.,” Spano said. “I am the only woman building this type of technology right now, every other competitor are all led by men — so having a woman’s voice, and transparency, and honesty, and truth… is really important.”
Ready to Protect Your Digital Reality?
Learn more about ForceField and how they are combating the rise of deepfakes and manipulated content at www.getmarq.co.