There’s little doubt that the advent of modern AI software has had both meaningful and detrimental effects on the internet (and its users) in general. Advanced generative AI allows for more photo-realistic image and video content to be put out online, although this has resulted in some less-than-desirable outcomes. One example is the use of deepfakes, which have been used in scams, propaganda, and other unlawful acts online.
With that in mind, a number of software brands and developers have been putting out countermeasures to help users combat deepfakes. One of these names is McAfee – best known for its antivirus software products, the company recently announced that it was working with select manufacturers to bring its Deepfake Detector to Windows PCs.
In particular, the McAfee Deepfake Detector will be exclusively available on a number of Lenovo AI PCs, although it will remain an optional feature that can be activated via opt-in on a user’s behalf. When activated, it will notify users if AI-altered audio is present in videos, for example. The software works via the built-in Neural Processing Unit (NPU) and performs the entire identification process completely on-device, meaning that user data remains off the cloud.
McAfee ads that it does not collect or record a user’s audio in any way, and users can still choose to turn audio detection on or off as desired. As per the company:
These advancements significantly enhance the consumer experience, allowing people to make informed decisions about the content they view and protecting them against cybercrooks manipulating video audio without compromising the speed of their PC. This ensures consumers can use their PC as usual – whether they’re gaming, browsing or watching videos – while McAfee Deepfake Detector works quietly in the background, protecting people against deceptions and scams without compromising performance.
Recent statistics indicate that only 18% of social media users in the UK are able to spot AI-generated content. The end results are often drastic as well – around 45% of victims of voice cloning or other deepfake/AI scams lose money and almost 23% lose more than £1,000.
As for availability, the McAfee Deepfake Detector is available in English in select Lenovo AI PCs, and can be ordered via Lenovo.com and select local retailers starting on August 21, 2024 in the US, UK, and Australia. Lenovo AI PC customers will get a free 30-day trial of McAfee Deepfake Detector with pricing starting at £9.99 for the first year.
