The digital deception game is on track to becoming more intense. We’re talking about artificial intelligence (AI) that mimics your boss’s voice so well that it’ll make you do a double-take; a deepfake that sends the stock market on a roller coaster, or a fake speech made by a world leader that misleads voters or instigates conflict between nations.

As long as there’s money to be made and people to be swayed, scammers (and manipulators) will keep innovating. But guess what? Organizations too have access to advanced resources that can help to defend against digital deception.

1. AI-Powered Fact-checkers

Tools like Full Fact, ClaimBuster, and Chequeado are at the forefront of automated fact-checking. They cross-reference claims against databases of verified information, flagging potential falsehoods in near real-time. However, these tools are fallible. Since these systems are themselves AI-based, they may struggle with context, nuance and rapidly evolving situations. The sheer volume of misinformation already posted online means the source data for generative AI tools itself can be biased or poisoned. Thus, fact-checking services face the daunting task of developing new models trained exclusively on ‘trusted’ data. These tools are best used as a first line of defense but should not be used as a final arbiter of truth.

2. Deepfake Detectors

Tools such as Microsoft’s Video Authenticator, Sentinel, Sensity, and Deepware analyze pixel patterns and subtle cues to spot AI-generated videos. They can at times be effective in detecting deepfakes, but they may also be prone to false positives and negatives. Moreover, there will always be periods during which the attacker holds the upper hand – for instance, the deepfake may have already spread widely and gone viral by the time it is identified. As these tools become more advanced over time, it is anticipated that attackers will adapt and find ways to outsmart them.

3. Digital Watermarking

Most generative AI companies are developing invisible watermarks for various types of digital content including images, videos, audio and text. The goal? To create a digital fingerprint and make it easier to trace content back to its source, enabling users to verify its authenticity. It’s like giving each piece of content its own unique ID card. Examples include metadata watermarks (invisible tags embedded within a file); and video watermarks (embedding secrets in a video’s timing or frame sequence). Although watermarking may seem like a great method for detecting AI-generated content, loopholes and limitations exist. For example, recording a screen while a watermarked video is playing will create a new, unmarked version of the video. Determined hackers can also perform strategic edits to disrupt a video’s timings and alter its frame sequence, rendering the watermark ineffective.

4. Browser Extensions

Although browser extensions themselves could be an attack vector, some are effective at detecting biased content and fake news. Examples include Stopaganda Plus, which tags content with a bias metric relative to U.S. politics; TrustedNews, which pulls from services like Politifact and Snopes for its evaluations; uBlock Origin and Privacy Badger, which act like a digital bouncer, warning users about sketchy websites and blocking web trackers. Each of these adds an extra layer of protection to online activities. There’s one caveat though, using these tools can potentially filter certain types of content, which can make users prejudiced and biased. Savvy bad actors will find ways to circumvent these tools.

5. Blockchain

Blockchain technology is making waves with its potential for creating tamper-proof records of content origins. Think of it as a digital fingerprint that’s virtually impossible to fake. The ledger within blockchain is the key, promising the ability to record and track the history of digital content. Blockchain is promising, but not without its challenges. While blockchain can tell us if content has been altered, it cannot guarantee whether the original information was itself falsified. Widespread adoption is still a hurdle. In the future, social media platforms and news outlets could prioritize content with verifiable sources, while being more cautious towards material that lacks authentication.

Where Technical Controls Fail, Human Intuition Must Step In

Hacking the human mind is shockingly easy, especially with AI tools. While tech-based tools can function as a powerful defense, they’re not a silver bullet. Remember, we’re in an ongoing arms race – anything that seems effective today might be embarrassingly ineffective tomorrow. An organization’s most resilient defense is not exclusive to technology-based tools but resides in critical thinking skills and honed security consciousness among users. Employees must stay vigilant and never stop questioning online content.

As digital exploitation, fraud and digital deception move deeper into society, it is incumbent on organizations to educate their employees on digital literacy skills, make them aware of the risks posed by phishing and social engineering threats. Training will equip users with the ability to identify and block suspicious content, and the foresight and intuition needed to safeguard themselves