Deepfake Generative AI Detection Startup Reality Defender Raises $15M
Reality Defender, a startup specializing in detecting deepfake and synthetic media, has secured $15 million in a Series A funding round led by DCVC. The company offers tools to identify and address manipulated media, including AI-generated text, images, audio, and video.
Defending Reality
Reality Defender primarily targets businesses, government agencies, and enterprise organizations, providing them with a way to distinguish synthetic media created using generative AI. The startup claims to have detected millions of deepfakes and thwarted multiple disinformation campaigns since its launch in 2021. Its web app and API are trained in-house to identify media manipulation or fabrication through generative AI.
Deepfake Demands
The malicious use of deepfakes to deceive people or associate them with scams is becoming increasingly common. Examples include a deepfake video of consumer advice guide Martin Lewis attempting to trick people into a scam investment and a deepfake video of Tom Hanks selling dental plans on social media. These incidents highlight the need for effective deepfake detection tools.
Advancements and Challenges
The development of deepfake AI detectors has been on the rise, with several synthetic media developers introducing features to identify deepfakes. However, there are challenges in this space, as OpenAI quietly removed its tool for detecting AI-written text six months after its release. Turnitin claims almost 100% accuracy in detecting AI writing, while GPTZero asserts it can accurately identify 99% of human-written articles and 85% of AI-generated ones, though there is some skepticism regarding these claims.
In conclusion, Reality Defender’s successful funding round and its new Explainable AI feature demonstrate the growing demand for effective deepfake and synthetic media detection tools. As the use of deepfakes becomes more prevalent and sophisticated, it is crucial to have reliable solutions to combat the spread of disinformation and protect individuals and organizations from the harmful effects of manipulated media.