Close X
Thursday, November 21, 2024
ADVT 
Tech

Vancouver tech leaders launch new detection service to identify deepfake content

Darpan News Desk Cision, 03 Apr, 2024 09:54 AM
  • Vancouver tech leaders launch new detection service to identify deepfake content

A chance meeting 18 years ago of two dads dropping off their kids for kindergarten has started a technology journey that may change the face of protection against online harm.

The dads are Praveen Varshney and Charles Gadalla, partners in a new company called Verifiction (link to website), based in Vancouver, which uses 17 different algorithms monitoring factors from blood flow to light sensitivity to determine the likelihood of content being real or fake.

"I can't believe that a guy I met dropping my kids off at school would today be my partner in one of the most exciting business ventures launching in our city in the coming weeks," said Mr. Varshney, Principal Partner of Varshney Capital, which specializes in investing in technology and social impact ventures.

Mr. Gadalla, who is CEO of Verifiction, previously worked in senior product development capacities with tech companies around the world, including seven years with SAP.

"I think we found something that perfectly aligns with new efforts by the government of Canada that were announced on February 26 to protect people from the serious threat of deepfakes," said Mr. Varshney, an FCPA and graduate of the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia.

Digital images, voices, videos, or text manipulated or generated by artificial intelligence have recently become widespread. Celebrities, businesses, and students are increasingly targeted by those who use this technology for extortion, manipulation, or reputation damage. Verifiction, which is a registered member of the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA), offers the first service that will provide the ability to fully address cases involving non-consensual private videos without additional tools or systems.

Collaborating with international partners in India, Germany and the United States, Verifiction has created a team of world-leading computer scientists that are meeting the growing threat of deepfakes head-on.

"We offer a 95 per cent accuracy score on every video," said Mr. Gadalla, a graduate of the Ivey Business School at the University of Western Ontario. "We are now prepared to provide it to those who need it most."

Mr. Varshney and Mr. Gadalla are now working with universities and global news agencies to find early adopters who will utilize the project and promote it to others. One of the first people they spoke to was Kate White, Senior Associate Dean, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Sustainability at the UBC Sauder School of Business.

"Departments like mine are working every day to achieve equity, diversity and inclusion. Hopefully this technology will help bring that closer," said Professor White. "What I was particularly impressed with was the potential of Verifiction to give consumers a real sense of security of their identity."

Mr. Varshney and his spouse have two children, Aneesh, an entrepreneurship student at the Sauder School of Business, and Jaiya, a recent Sauder graduate. Mr. Gadalla and his spouse's children, Shannon and Troy, are both in high school. Just like their relationship, the dads' goal for Verifiction begins and ends with their children.

"One thing that Praveen and I agree on is we would do anything for our kids," said Mr. Gadalla.

MORE Tech ARTICLES

Musk warns of killing Twitter deal over lack of user data transparency: Report

Musk warns of killing Twitter deal over lack of user data transparency: Report
In a fresh SEC filing, Twitter shared a letter it received from Musk's legal team indicating displeasure with the company's offered information regarding the level of "spam and fake accounts" on its service, reports TechCrunch.

Musk warns of killing Twitter deal over lack of user data transparency: Report

Elon Musk's net worth drops below $200 bn

Elon Musk's net worth drops below $200 bn
As per the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Musk's net worth stands at $193 billion, as of May 25. This means that Musk had seen $77.6 billion of his wealth sheared off since the start of the year.

Elon Musk's net worth drops below $200 bn

Twitter board wants $44 bn deal to go through amid Musk-Agrawal tussle

Twitter board wants $44 bn deal to go through amid Musk-Agrawal tussle
The Tesla CEO on Tuesday said that the $44 billion deal at $54.20 a share "cannot move forward" until the Twitter CEO Agrawal proves the actual bot numbers. While Twitter maintains it has less than 5 per cent fake/spammy accounts on its platform, Musk believes the number can be as high at 50 per cent, and wants Agrawal to come clean on this.

Twitter board wants $44 bn deal to go through amid Musk-Agrawal tussle

Indian-origin man develops airport for flying taxis, drones in UK

Indian-origin man develops airport for flying taxis, drones in UK
The world's first fully-operational airport for electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft and drone technology, the 'Air-One' in the city of Coventry is currently hosting demonstrator flights.

Indian-origin man develops airport for flying taxis, drones in UK

Elon Musk buys Twitter for $44bn, company to go private

Elon Musk buys Twitter for $44bn, company to go private
Twitter announced late on Monday that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by an entity wholly owned by Musk for $54.20 per share in cash in a transaction valued at nearly $44 billion.

Elon Musk buys Twitter for $44bn, company to go private

Three companies win Elon Musk-funded award

Three companies win Elon Musk-funded award
The University of British Columbia says in a news release that its spinoff company Carbin Minerals has been awarded a so-called XPrize for technology that removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.    

Three companies win Elon Musk-funded award