Jumio Warns of Consumer ‘Overconfidence’ in Battle Against Deepfakes

Consumer research conducted for the “Jumio 2023 Online Identity Study” found that 67 percent of respondents were aware of generative AI tools, and that 52 percent believed they could detect deepfake videos – prompting Jumio CTO Stuart Wells to issue a note of caution.

“While there are certainly tell-tale signs to look for, deepfakes are getting exponentially better all the time and are becoming increasingly difficult to detect without the aid of AI,” he said. “While AI-powered technology will increasingly be required by businesses to spot and protect their networks and customers from deepfakes, consumers can protect themselves by treating provocative images, videos and audio with skepticism. Some quick research will usually uncover whether it’s a fake or not.”

This is the second instalment in Jumio’s new line of consumer research, conducted by Censuswide. The survey polled 8,055 adults across the UK, the US, Singapore, and Mexico.

Jumio says that the research shows “overconfidence” on the part of consumers regarding their ability to detect deepfakes, an issue that is “concerning” given the prevalence of impersonation scams. The company, which offers sophisticated biometric identity verification technology, notes that impersonation scams cost the United Kingdom alone about £177 million last year, according to recent figures from UK Finance; and that Federal Trade Commission figures show that US losses from impersonation scams climbed from $2.4 billion in 2021 to $2.6 billion last year.

Generative AI tools are helping to scrub away the warning signs that sometimes come with fraud, such as typos on fake-looking websites, and that is expected to exacerbate the problem.

“Online organizations must look to implement multimodal, biometric-based verification systems that can detect deepfakes and prevent stolen personal information from being used,” asserted Jumio’s Chief of Digital Identity, Philipp Pointner. “Encouragingly, our research indicated strong consumer appetite for this form of identity verification, which businesses should act on fast.”

On that note, the research found that 68 percent of consumers were willing to use digital ID for online identity verification, especially in areas like financial services, government, and healthcare.

For its part, Jumio has established a high profile as a provider of identity verification solutions. At this year’s Globee Cybersecurity Awards, Jumio took Gold in the category of “Authentication (Single, Two-Factor, Multi, or Cloud Based) Solution”, as well as silver in “Best Security Solution (New or Updated version)”. The company was also a presenter at the Gartner Identity & Access Management Summit in London.

–

June 7, 2023 – by Alex Perala