One of the largest antivirus vendors has launched a fantastic deepfake interceptor to combat cybercriminals and scammers. Unfortunately, you’ll need an Intel AI PC to get the most out of it
Today’s clever cybercriminals use AI to alter the audio content of videos, creating convincing deepfake scams, a problem that can only get worse, especially in an election year.
To combat such threats, McAfee has joined forces with Intel to launch an AI-powered Deepfake Detector. Formerly known as Project Mockingbird, the tool attempts to identify and notify users when a video’s audio is likely to be generated or manipulated by AI.
McAfee’s Deepfake Detector uses the latest AI techniques, including transformer-based Deep Neural Network models, so it only works on systems with an Intel Core Ultra processor. McAfee says the NPU in AI PCs improves app performance by up to 300% and enables local deepfake inference, preventing sensitive user data from being sent to the cloud.
There are no plans to bring it to older Intel PCs
“In a world where seeing is no longer believing, where AI-generated deepfakes have made it harder than ever to tell real from fake, consumers need the latest in AI to beat AI,” said Steve Grobman, Chief McAfee Technology Officer.
“By leveraging Intel’s Core Ultra processor technology and NPU, we can provide consumers with the most advanced and powerful generative AI deepfake detection capabilities without sacrificing performance or privacy. There is no need to send huge files to the cloud for analysis, with detection performed locally. for even more peace of mind and control over your data.”
Carla Rodriguez, Vice President and General Manager of Ecosystem Partner Enabling at Intel, added: “We are excited to work with McAfee to help bring innovative solutions to market, such as McAfee Deepfake Detector, which leverages the NPU in PCs with Intel Core Ultra processors, boosting the detection of malicious and deceptive deepfakes while delivering optimal performance and privacy.”
McAfee’s Deepfake Detector will soon be available for English video detection. It is expected to be expanded to other languages in due course.
We asked McAfee if there were plans to bring the tool to older PCs and were told by a spokesperson: “McAfee Deepfake Detector is not marketed on older Intel PCs. The capabilities described include taking advantage of the NPU in Intel Core Ultra processors. While we are proud to partner with Intel, another innovative, consumer-focused technology leader focused on delivering solutions to meet the very real needs of today’s consumers, this is not an exclusive partnership.” That’s potentially good news for anyone who doesn’t have an Intel PC.