Seattle-startup Hiya has developed a Deepfake Voice Detector using AI technology to combat misinformation spread through audio and video manipulation. The free Google Chrome extension can identify deepfake content with just one second of audio, distinguishing between authentic voices and those generated by cloning tools. With deepfakes on the rise, particularly in the political realm, detecting these malicious manipulations is becoming increasingly difficult.
AI has already played a significant role in Hiya’s caller ID, call blocking, and spam protection services, where AI-generated robocalls pose a threat of fraud. The new Deepfake Voice Detector expands the scope of AI usage, analyzing voice content in multiple languages across various platforms, including social media and news sources. By training their models to identify subtle audio artifacts unique to AI-generated voices, Hiya’s tool can quickly detect deepfakes that may go unnoticed by the human ear.
Hiya President Kush Parikh highlighted the importance of detecting deepfakes, which are increasingly challenging to discern as technology advances. Cybercriminals are utilizing voice cloning for scams and even to influence major events like elections, underscoring the need for effective detection tools. The company’s survey of 2,000 consumers found that a quarter of respondents had been exposed to audio deepfakes between April and July, with personal voice calls and social media platforms serving as primary sources of exposure.
Hiya’s AI Voice Detection technology is already being utilized by nonprofit organization TrueMedia, which is also dedicated to detecting deepfakes and combating misinformation, especially in the context of elections. TrueMedia initially released its tool to journalists and fact-checkers, before making it available to the public in September. Users can submit social media posts containing images, videos, or audio files for real-time analysis by the AI, identifying any signs of manipulation. Other organizations, such as Microsoft, have developed quizzes to test people’s ability to detect deepfakes.
As a finalist for Innovation of the Year at the GeekWire Awards, Hiya has raised $42.5 million in funding from investors, with their most recent round in March 2023 securing a $4.7 million investment. The company, which launched in 2016 as a spin-off from Whitepages, is currently ranked 12th on the GeekWire 200 list of top Pacific Northwest startups. The development of the Deepfake Voice Detector reflects Hiya’s commitment to leveraging AI technology to address the growing threat of misinformation and deception in the digital landscape. With deepfakes posing a significant risk to individuals and society at large, innovative tools such as Hiya’s detector play a crucial role in safeguarding against the spread of false information.
