Deepfake videos are an impressive example of how AI can mimic real people, but the technology is too often used to trick people into thinking they’re seeing and hearing real people, especially celebrities. It’s a cybersecurity problem, which is why McAfee has partnered with Lenovo to bring its Deepfake Detector exclusively to Lenovo AI PCs. As the name suggests, McAfee’s Deepfake Detector detects and flags deepfake videos, the kind that have been used to scam people out of their money, in some extreme cases upwards of half a million dollars.
McAfee has been developing ways to mitigate deepfake-powered scams for several years, but Deepfake Detector takes that effort to the next level. The tool has been trained on approximately 200,000 video clips to learn how to accurately identify audio that has been generated or altered with AI. It runs in the background, like most antivirus software, and scans video content played both online and locally. If it spots a deepfake, it alerts the user and lets them decide what to do about it.
“Knowledge is power, and that’s never been truer than in today’s AI-driven world,” said McAfee Senior Vice President of Product Roma Majumder. “You no longer have to wonder if Warren Buffet’s investment plan is legit, if Taylor Swift really wants to give away cookware to fans, or if a politician actually said those words. The answers are provided automatically and in seconds with McAfee Deepfake Detector.”
Drama over deepfake detection
The Deepfake Detector is specifically designed to work on select Lenovo AI PCs, as they are built with a neural processing unit (NPU) that enhances the AI capabilities on the device. The computer can monitor a video and tag it as a deepfake without needing to upload any data to the cloud. All analysis stays on the device, which is a boon for the more privacy-conscious PC user. The Deepfake Detector is available now on select Lenovo AI PCs in the US, UK, and Australia. New Lenovo AI PC purchases come with a free 30-day trial, with subscriptions starting at $10 per year thereafter.
Those interested in purchasing a Lenovo AI PC with the Deepfake Detector will need to check who built the NPU, however. Earlier this year, McAfee announced that the Deepfake Detector would be exclusive to certain Intel chips with NPUs, but it’s unclear whether Lenovo’s exclusivity deal lifts that limit. Lenovo’s AI PC portfolio includes computers with NPUs built by chipmakers besides Intel, such as the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite. We’ve reached out to McAfee and Lenovo to find out and will update you if we learn more.
“At McAfee, we are inspired by the transformative potential of AI and are committed to shaping a future where AI is used for good. By partnering with Lenovo, we are expanding our ability to deliver the most effective, automated, AI-driven deepfake detection, giving people a powerful digital guardian on their PCs,” said Majumder.
Even if you don’t have the right Lenovo, you can still check if a video is a deepfake with the new McAfee Smart AI Hub on McAfee.ai. The site is designed to educate consumers about AI-driven scams, including deepfakes. But it’s not just reading material. Visitors can submit videos for analysis to determine if they’re deepfake scams, and McAfee will use the submissions to further improve its educational content and tweak its defensive software.