TrueMedia.org Makes Deepfake Detection Tool Freely Available to Public Ahead of 2024 Election

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Sep 18, 2024, 09:00 ET

For the first time, real-time deepfake detection capabilities are broadly available to social media users.
Tool comes amid a rise in political deepfakes in the U.S. and around the world.

SEATTLE, Sept. 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- TrueMedia.org, a non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to combating AI-driven disinformation, announced today the launch of its innovative deepfake detection technology for public use.

This offering is revolutionary as it empowers anybody and everybody to be able to detect deepfakes in real-time. Previously only accessible to media organizations, the tool is now available to all citizens – at no cost – just in time for the 2024 U.S. elections.

"For the first time, the public has easy access to the same best-in-class deepfake detection technology, historically reserved for government agencies. In an election cycle where disinformation is rampant, it is critical that everyone has the tools they need to verify the authenticity of what they see and hear online," said TrueMedia.org Founder Oren Etzioni. "TrueMedia.org empowers citizens to fight back against false narratives and preserve the integrity of our democratic process."

As concerns about the influence of social media grow, a 2024 Pew Research survey found that 78% of Americans believe social media companies have too much political power and influence. Additionally, 64% of Americans view social media's impact on the country as mostly negative, with both Republicans and Democrats increasingly wary of its role in shaping political discourse.

Co-founder of the Center for Human Technology Tristan Harris said, "We urgently need a range of solutions to deal with the ways AI risks overwhelming society. TrueMedia's new deepfake detection tool is an important piece of the puzzle, and we're grateful that we have it before the 2024 election."

In this critical political environment, TrueMedia.org aims to counter the spread of AI-generated disinformation by providing voters with the ability to fact-check content instantly, helping to ensure that misleading deepfakes do not influence the outcome of elections. This launch comes as TrueMedia.org's technology has already identified significant deepfakes generated during major global events, including:

Demystifying a fake image of smiling Secret Service agents during the Trump assassination attempt;
Debunking a fake Bollywood party endorsement during the 2024 Indian general elections;
Countering a Russian state media broadcast of a fake audio clip of a Ukrainian Defense Minister taking credit for the Crocus Center bombing in March 2024;
Identifying 41 AI content farm accounts that published 9,784 videos in just 458 days, from March 2023 to June 2024, cumulatively garnering over 380 million views.

Additionally, TrueMedia.org announced a collaboration with Microsoft, earlier this year, to enhance AI deepfake detection capabilities through Microsoft's AI for Good lab.

Vice Chair and President of Microsoft Brad Smith said, "Deepfakes are getting harder to spot. But people like Oren Etzioni, founder of TrueMedia.org, are creating cutting-edge tools to help anyone detect suspicious AI-manipulated videos, photos, or audio recordings online. It is a great example of using good AI to combat bad AI."

TrueMedia.org is funded by Camp.org, the non-profit organization of Uber Co-founder Garrett Camp, which has played a critical role in providing the organization with the resources needed to share its technology with the public.

About TrueMedia.org
TrueMedia.org is a non-partisan, non-profit organization focused on fighting AI-based disinformation in political campaigns by identifying manipulated media ("deepfakes"). We partner with best-in-class technology providers, researchers, and academic labs to create a useful, easy-to-use, and highly reliable tool. We focus on high-impact results in a very focused domain – namely identifying political disinformation via fake social media assets. TrueMedia.org is funded by Camp.org, the non-profit organization of Uber Co-founder Garrett Camp.

To learn more, please visit: www.TrueMedia.org

Media Contact
Bryce Tom
[email protected]

SOURCE TrueMedia.org