In a recent stirring development, Changpeng Zhao (CZ), the CEO of the colossal cryptocurrency exchange, Binance, has raised a red flag regarding the dangers associated with AI-generated deepfake videos in the realm of cryptocurrencies. CZ remarked on the potential hazards these videos present in terms of video authentication while discussing an AI-enhanced video featuring Joshua Xu, the CEO of HeyGen.
Xu’s tweet unveiled AI-created videos of his avatar and voice clone, a significant step-up in avatar video quality and voice technology. He noted the impending deployment of this feature for public usage, with the AI generator taking a mere “two minutes” to manifest a believable digital avatar.
This evolution throws light on the escalating sophistication of technology, yet equally exposes a potential loophole in Binance’s user verification process. To withdraw funds from Binance, customers must provide video evidence for identity verification, a security policy directive that pairs with a snapshot of the user’s ID card or passport. Binance, however, explicitly disallows the editing or watermarking of submitted videos.
With AI technology as advanced as witnessed by the HeyGen avatar, the potential for deepfakes to bypass human verification means becomes a glaring concern. Jimmy Su, Binance’s chief security officer, echoed these sentiments in May, warning that deepfakes might soon be indistinguishable by human verifiers.
DeepFakeAI, an emerging AI project in the crypto industry, is attracting attention with its superimposed videos of notable figures like Elon Musk and Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin. The platform, banking on deepfake technology, allows users to create AI-powered videos and offers services through a native bot.
It’s also branched into cryptocurrency, launching FAKEAI, which avails special benefits like free access to various platform packages. Notably, as per CoinGecko data, FAKEAI was trading at a meagre $0.00028227 at the time of this writing.
While the technological advancements are undeniably impressive and potentially lucrative, they’re not without their share of fear and apprehension. Rapidly escalating AI capabilities pose significant challenges, with serious implications for security within the crypto space, especially given the reliance on video evidence for identity verification. Therefore, as we move forward, we need to strike the right balance between embracing technological advancements and ensuring robust security mechanisms in the cryptosphere.
Source: Cryptonews
