Infibeam Avenues Ltd teams up with IISc to roll out deepfake detection systems

As part of their collaboration, Infibeam Avenues Ltd and IISc intend to research and develop real-time deepfake detection systems focusing on scaling digital security for government entities, corporations, and organisations. The partnership aims to mitigate the increasing threat of AI-generated deception.

The MoU with IISc Bangalore follows Infibeam Avenues’ expansion of its share price after the acquisition of a majority stake in Rediff.com India. Back on 5 August 2024, the company’s shares were trading at Rs 32.83, reflecting an increase of Rs 0.53 or 1.64% on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). This came after Infibeam Avenues finalised an agreement to acquire a 54% stake in Rediff.com India, with the transaction including a cash consideration not exceeding Rs 25 crore and was expected to be completed within 90 days. The acquisition represented a step forward for the company, supporting the expansion of its digital financial services.

The rising threat of deepfakes

With deepfake technology evolving, personal and corporate integrity is at risk, as sophisticated AI-generated media can develop hyper-realistic, however, false representations of individuals and events, in turn leading to misinformation, cyberbullying, financial fraud, and identity theft. This poses substantial threats to businesses, government institutions, and the general public. Under the MoU, Infibeam Avenues Ltd’s AI business unit, Phronetic.AI, and the IISc team are set to work on developing anti-deepfake technologies centred on real-time video communication. The two organisations plan to focus on selecting effective detection models for a range of scenarios, ensuring that real-time deepfake detection operates accordingly and cost-effectively.

Furthermore, Infibeam Avenues Ltd also teamed up with the Vision and AI Lab (VAL) of the IISc, seeking to further optimise detection algorithms and ensure fortified defences against the difficulties brought by realistic deepfake technologies. In addition, Infibeam Avenues Ltd and IISc’s research aims to prioritise the development of a user-friendly interface, enabling non-experts to verify the authenticity of live visuals and audio. The detection system focuses on adapting across various sectors, including banking, healthcare, insurance, finance, fintech, HR recruitment, government organisations, police, and personal communications.