PXL Vision has integrated a deepfake detection capability into its PXL Ident identity verification platform, completing an 18-month research collaboration with the Idiap Research Institute that was funded by Swiss innovation agency Innosuisse. The technology has been available to all PXL Vision customers since the start of 2026.
The PXL Deepfake Detector is designed to identify three categories of manipulation in identity documents and facial images: face swapping, in which one person’s face replaces another’s; face impersonation, which involves manipulating the expressions or movements of a real person; and fully synthetic faces, meaning AI-generated images of people who do not exist. The system is built on deep learning architectures and was trained on a large, diverse dataset of real and manipulated facial images.
The research partnership, which began in spring 2024, focused on the specific challenge of detecting synthetic faces in digital identity verification scenarios involving ID documents. Sebastien Marcel, Head of the Biometric Security and Privacy Group at Idiap, noted that identity documents presented a distinct challenge from general deepfake detection and said the results exceeded initial expectations. Nevena Shamoska, CTO of PXL Vision, said access to Idiap’s expertise in biometrics and generative AI accelerated the integration of state-of-the-art detection capabilities into the platform.
The PXL Deepfake Detector complements existing fraud prevention tools already embedded in PXL Ident and addresses growing use of AI-generated imagery in online fraud attempts. According to Entrust’s 2025 Identity Fraud Report, deepfake attacks occurred at an average rate of once every five minutes in 2024, while digital document forgeries increased by 244 percent compared to the previous year.
PXL Vision is the Swiss market leader in digital identity verification, serving clients in financial services, telecommunications, and government sectors, primarily across the DACH region of Europe. Customers include Swisscom, Swiss Life, and Cembra Money Bank, among others. The company noted that Innosuisse, the Swiss federal innovation agency, funded the project through its standard competitive research framework.
PXL Vision says it plans to continue investing in biometric security research, AI forensics, and deepfake resilience to protect customers from next-generation digital identity attacks. Idiap will use findings from the project in white papers and specialist conference presentations.
Sources: m-q.ch, PXL Vision
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By the ID Tech Editorial Team
