AllYouCanTech

Startup Creates Technology for Real-Time Detection of Deepfake Videos

### Reality Defender: Confronting AI-Driven Video Scams Instantly

With the advancement of artificial intelligence (AI), the risks it brings have also evolved, particularly in the area of deepfake technology. Deepfakes—videos generated by AI that alter or fabricate an individual’s appearance—have grown increasingly advanced, complicating the task of differentiating between genuine and fake media. This has triggered a rise in AI-facilitated scams, especially within high-pressure situations like corporate and governmental environments. Reality Defender, a startup dedicated to fighting AI disinformation, asserts it has a solution to this escalating challenge.

#### The Emergence of Instantaneous Deepfake Scams

Deepfakes have transitioned from mere online phenomena or means of producing viral videos to a genuine danger, notably in real-time video interactions. In a recent incident, the chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations unwittingly engaged in a video call with an individual impersonating a Ukrainian official. In another instance, a global engineering firm suffered significant financial losses after an employee was deceived by a deepfake video call. Even romantic scams have started utilizing real-time deepfakes to target vulnerable victims.

Ben Colman, the CEO and cofounder of Reality Defender, cautions that the emergence of real-time deepfake scams is on the horizon. “It’s likely just a matter of months before we observe a surge in deepfake video, face-to-face fraud,” he states. Consequently, Reality Defender is actively developing tools aimed at helping businesses and governments identify and mitigate these AI-driven threats.

#### How Reality Defender’s Solutions Function

Reality Defender’s primary objective is to deliver real-time deepfake detection instruments, commencing with a plugin for video conferencing applications like Zoom. The firm’s technology continuously evaluates video calls to ascertain whether participants are genuine or AI-generated replicas. During a live demonstration, Christopher Ren, a product manager at Reality Defender, employed popular GitHub code alongside a singular photograph to fabricate a deepfake of Elon Musk. As Ren conversed, the system consistently transmitted still frames from the video call to Reality Defender’s specialized model for evaluation. The tool subsequently identified the deepfake instantaneously, notifying the viewer that they were not interacting with the authentic Musk.

Though the technology remains in its developmental phase, the intention is to make it accessible to Reality Defender’s clients in the imminent future. Nonetheless, the company is still refining the tool to guarantee its precision in differentiating actual video participants from AI fabrications.

#### The Wider AI Environment

While Reality Defender concentrates on countering AI-fueled scams, it does not stand against AI itself. Colman highlights that the company is “very pro-AI,” appreciating the transformative capacity of AI in sectors such as healthcare, efficiency, and artistic endeavors. That said, he recognizes that certain “very, very minor edge cases,” like deepfake scams, present disproportionately high risks.

Reality Defender is not the pioneer in developing real-time deepfake detection technologies. In 2022, Intel unveiled its FakeCatcher tool, which observes variations in a person’s blood circulation to validate whether a video participant is real. However, similar to Reality Defender’s tool, Intel’s FakeCatcher remains unavailable to the public. Researchers in academia are also investigating alternative strategies to combat the deepfake menace. For example, a team at New York University is pursuing a challenge-based method, wherein video call participants must complete a CAPTCHA-like test to confirm their authenticity.

#### The Data Dilemma

A significant hurdle for Reality Defender and other AI-focused startups is the challenge of data access. The more data the system can leverage, the more effective it becomes at identifying deepfakes. Colman expresses optimism that collaborations with other firms will aid in bridging this gap. Following a connection between ElevenLabs and a deepfake voice call involving U.S. President Joe Biden, the AI-audio startup teamed up with Reality Defender to mitigate potential misuse of its technology.

#### How You Can Safeguard Yourself

As Reality Defender and other enterprises enhance their real-time deepfake detection capabilities, individuals can also take measures to shield themselves from video call scams. A crucial piece of advice is to avoid depending solely on your ability to detect deepfakes. As technology progresses, the indicators that might currently assist in recognizing a deepfake could be rendered ineffective by the next iteration of AI models.

“Just as we don’t request my 80-year-old mother to identify ransomware in an email,” Colman remarks, “we shouldn’t anticipate individuals to be capable of spotting deepfakes independently.” In the near future, real-time video authentication could become as standard as the malware defenses that unobtrusively safeguard your email inbox.

#### Conclusion

With AI-generated deepfakes becoming more intricate and pervasive, the demand for immediate detection solutions is growing increasingly critical. Reality Defender stands at the forefront of this conflict, crafting technology that may enable businesses, governments, and individuals to shield themselves from AI-fueled scams. Although the technology is still in its nascent stages

Lessons on Mortality and Death: Understandings Derived from Animal Behavior

### Grasping Death Through Animal Perspectives: A Dialogue with Susana Monsó

Humans navigate life each day with an awareness of our eventual demise. But are animals similarly conscious of this reality? This intriguing question has captivated scientists over the years, as observations of certain animal behaviors imply an awareness of death. For example, ants have been seen participating in what resemble “funerals,” chimpanzees gather around deceased peers, and a mother whale was known to carry her deceased calf for a fortnight in what appeared to be a mourning ritual. Such behaviors prompt the inquiry: Do animals comprehend death, and if they do, how?

Philosopher **Susana Monsó**, an esteemed authority on animal cognition, behavior, and ethics at the National Distance Education University (UNED) in Madrid, Spain, has devoted extensive time to investigating this issue. Her research culminated in the book *Playing Possum: How Animals Understand Death* (Princeton University Press), which explores the nascent field of **comparative thanatology**—the examination of how animals respond to death and the dying process. Monsó’s work challenges human-centered perspectives on death and presents a philosophical framework for understanding how animals might perceive death in ways that are distinct from our own interpretations.

### The Rise of Comparative Thanatology

Comparative thanatology is a budding field that aims to shed light on how animals recognize and respond to death. Monsó’s interest in this subject emerged from her observation of a multitude of field studies detailing the reactions of various species to death. “I recognized that a new discipline was forming that required a philosophical approach to clarify its foundational concepts,” she shared in an interview with **Ars Technica**. Her philosophical exploration of animal mortality was also fueled by her desire to understand better and perhaps reconcile with her own mortality.

In *Playing Possum*, Monsó posits that the idea of death is not exclusive to humans but is prevalent throughout the animal world. She critiques the human-centric bias that frequently governs discussions surrounding death, asserting that animals may possess their own unique ways of comprehending and responding to death, even if these differ from human experiences.

### The Contribution of Philosophy to Comparative Thanatology

Monsó asserts that philosophy is essential in guiding scientific exploration, especially in areas like comparative thanatology. “Engaging in philosophy is integral to science,” she claims, noting that philosophical considerations inform decisions regarding research inquiries, methodologies, and data interpretation. Philosophers are adept at conceptual analysis, which can aid scientists in refining definitions and steering clear of biases that could distort their findings.

One of the biases Monsó identifies in comparative thanatology is **anthropocentrism**—the inclination to use human experiences and understanding as the benchmark for evaluating all other species. She differentiates between two variations of anthropocentrism: **intellectual anthropocentrism**, which presupposes that animals possess either a human-like concept of death or none at all, and **emotional anthropocentrism**, which regards grief as the primary response to death. Monsó contends that concentrating solely on human-centered reactions may cause scientists to miss other ways animals might comprehend or react to death.

### A Simplified Concept of Death

In her book, Monsó proposes a **minimal concept of death**, providing a flexible lens to understand how various species might conceptualize death. This minimal concept accommodates differences both among species and within individual animals. For Monsó, the minimal definition recognizes the irreversible cessation of life functions, regardless of whether animals ascribe the same symbolic or emotional weight to death as humans do.

This perspective allows for a range of understandings, from species that might grasp a basic notion of death to those that may display more intricate behaviors like mourning or grief. Monsó highlights that animals need not possess a human-like understanding of death for their behaviors to hold significance. Instead, their responses to death may be influenced by their own experiences, cognitive capacities, and emotional reactions.

### The Triad: Cognition, Experience, and Emotion

Monsó and her colleague Antonio Osuna Mascaró established a framework they refer to as the **holy trinity** of understanding death, comprising cognition, experience, and emotion. These three elements, to varying extents, contribute to an animal’s capacity to formulate a concept of death. Monsó clarifies that animals with stronger cognitive abilities may require fewer encounters with death to develop an understanding, while animals with greater exposure to death might not need to be as cognitively advanced to grasp the concept.

This framework promotes flexibility and acknowledges that distinct species—and even individuals within a species—may cultivate varying degrees of comprehension based on their particular experiences and cognitive capabilities.

### Can Animals Comprehend Their Own Mortality?

One of the most profound inquiries Monsó examines is whether animals can grasp the notion of their own mortality. While humans are conscious of their eventual demise, largely influenced by cultural narratives and

Amazon Introduces Its Initial Color Kindle E-Reader, the Kindle Colorsoft, Available for $280

# Amazon’s Kindle Colorsoft: A New Chapter for E-Readers

Amazon has made an official announcement regarding its inaugural color e-reader, the **Kindle Colorsoft**, representing a major advancement in the progression of its Kindle range. Slated for release on **October 30th**, this new device introduces color to a series that has historically centered around monochrome e-ink displays. With a premium price tag of **$279.99**, the Kindle Colorsoft offers a variety of sophisticated features that render it an appealing choice for e-book lovers seeking a more engaging reading experience.

## A Premium Price, But Well-Trodden Ground

At **$279.99**, the Kindle Colorsoft is priced above the **$159.99** Kindle Paperwhite yet is still somewhat less expensive than the **$290** debut price of the now-retired **Kindle Oasis**. This positions the Colorsoft as a premium gadget while still aligning with Amazon’s previous pricing strategies for its high-end e-readers.

The Colorsoft boasts **32 GB of storage**, sufficient for keeping thousands of e-books, and incorporates features such as **wireless charging** and **automatic screen brightness and color temperature adjustment**. These were previously exclusive to the **$200 Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition**, making the Colorsoft a strong pick for users desiring both practicality and innovation.

## The Color Edge: A Fresh Perspective on Reading

The primary enhancement in the Kindle Colorsoft is undoubtedly its **color display**. Although the device retains the **300 PPI** (pixels per inch) resolution for monochrome text and images, color media is rendered at **150 PPI**. Consequently, book covers, illustrations, and other visual components will now showcase vibrant colors, enriching the reading experience.

Moreover, the Colorsoft features **color-coded highlighting**, a functionality that has existed in Amazon’s Kindle applications for smartphones and tablets. This will simplify the organizational tasks for readers, especially when dealing with non-fiction or academic texts.

However, it’s crucial to recognize that the color display may not offer the same sharpness as monochrome text, and the **150 PPI** resolution for color content might not suit all media types, especially intricate comics or graphic novels. Nevertheless, for most readers, the addition of color will likely be a well-received upgrade, particularly among those who peruse illustrated books or magazines.

## Design: Recognizably Different

From a design standpoint, the Kindle Colorsoft closely mirrors the **7-inch Kindle Paperwhite**. Both devices share an identical screen size, yet the Colorsoft weighs in slightly more at **7.7 ounces**, in contrast to the Paperwhite’s **7.4 ounces**. This minor weight difference is unlikely to be perceived during day-to-day usage.

Unlike earlier premium Kindle iterations such as the **Oasis** or the **Voyage**, which incorporated distinctive elements like physical page-turn buttons or sophisticated lighting systems, the standout feature of the Colorsoft is its color screen. This renders it a more straightforward device, centering on the essential reading experience rather than specialized features.

## Competition: Not the Pioneer, But Still Important

While Amazon’s Kindle Colorsoft marks an exciting advancement, it is not the first color e-reader available. Earlier this year, **Kobo** launched its color e-reader at a lower price, and numerous lesser-known brands have been producing color e-ink devices for several years. Nonetheless, Amazon’s foray into the color e-reader domain is still significant due to the immense popularity of the Kindle brand and the vast reach of Amazon’s e-bookstore.

The Kindle ecosystem is extensive, and Amazon’s stronghold in the e-book marketplace suggests that the Colorsoft will likely garner a substantial audience, even if it does not represent the most innovative or cost-effective color e-reader on the market.

## Concluding Thoughts: A New Chapter for Kindle

The Kindle Colorsoft signifies a notable progress for Amazon’s e-reader series. While it may not appeal to users who prefer the physical buttons on older models like the Oasis, the addition of a color screen is an asset that resonates universally. Priced at **$279.99**, the Colorsoft is competitively positioned for a premium device, and its mix of color display, generous storage, and advanced functionalities establishes it as a formidable player in the e-reader arena.

For readers who have long awaited a Kindle that transcends the limitations of black-and-white text, the Colorsoft presents a compelling alternative. Although it may not excel in every content category, particularly with intricate comics or graphic novels, it brings new potential for illustrated texts, magazines, and other visually engaging materials.

As Amazon continues to enhance its Kindle range, the Colorsoft may very well herald a new chapter for e-readers, where color becomes a standard feature rather than a rarity. Whether you’re a seasoned Kindle enthusiast or