Humans are unable to accurately detect over a quarter of deepfake speech samples, a study has shown.
The study, published in PLOS ONE, is the first to examine the human capacity to distinguish artificially generated speech in languages other than English.
Deepfakes, the term for synthetic media that impersonates real persons' voices or appearances, belong to the realm of generative artificial intelligence.
This form of AI utilises machine learning to teach an algorithm the patterns and features of a data set – such as a video or audio recording of a real person – enabling it to replicate original sounds or visuals.
Once requiring thousands of voice samples, cutting-edge pre-trained algorithms can now reproduce a person's voice with only a three-second audio clip.
These open-source algorithms are not only readily accessible but also easy to train, potentially within a few days, even for a person with limited expertise.
In a notable development, tech company Apple has recently introduced a software feature for its iPhone and iPad devices that can clone a user's voice using 15 minutes of audio.
The University College London researchers conducted their study by creating deepfake speech samples in English and Mandarin using a text-to-speech algorithm.
This algorithm was trained on two public data sets and used to generate 50 deepfake speech samples in each language.
The samples were intentionally different from the ones used for training the algorithm to avoid it from simply duplicating the original input.
To assess humans' ability to discern real from fake, these artificially generated samples were played alongside genuine samples to a pool of 529 participants.
Participants could only accurately identify the fake speech 73 per cent of the time, a figure that only marginally improved after they underwent training on how to recognise deepfake speech.
“Our findings confirm that humans are unable to reliably detect deepfake speech, whether or not they have received training to help them spot artificial content,” lead author of the study, Kimberly Mai from UCL Computer Science, said.
“Considering the samples we used were created with comparatively old algorithms, it begs the question if humans would fare worse in detecting deepfake speech produced using more advanced technology now and in the future.”
The researchers now aim to develop superior automated speech detectors to counter the threats posed by artificially generated audio and imagery.
While generative AI audio technology can yield benefits, such as enhancing accessibility for people with speech impairments or those who may lose their voice due to illness, concerns are mounting about its potential misuse by criminals and nations to cause harm to people and societies.
“AI-powered detectors are a common way to detect speech deepfakes. During training, they see lots of examples of real and fake speech,” Ms Mai told The National.
“Through this process, the detectors learn patterns that make synthesised speech distinguishable from real examples.
“Our results indicate we should not be too reliant on current iterations of AI-powered detectors.
“Although they are good at identifying examples of deepfake speech similar to samples seen during training, for example, if the speaker identity is the same, their performance can decline when there are changes to the test audio, for example, the speaker identity is different, or the environment is noisier.”
A case in point from 2019, an incident where a British energy company's chief executive was tricked into transferring hundreds of thousands of pounds to a fraudulent supplier using a deepfake recording of his superior's voice.
“With generative artificial intelligence technology getting more sophisticated and many of these tools openly available, we’re on the verge of seeing numerous benefits as well as risks,” senior author of the study, Lewis Griffin of UCL Computer Science, said.
“While it is crucial for governments and organisations to develop strategies to address misuse of these tools, we should also acknowledge the positive possibilities that are on the horizon.”
Ms Mai said on developing and deploying deepfake speech detectors: “Because the deepfake speech detectors can be sensitive to changes in audio, it is important to evaluate them in various situations, for example, different speakers, noisier environments or varying accents, to minimise false positives and negatives.”
The Uefa Awards winners
Uefa Men's Player of the Year: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Uefa Women's Player of the Year: Lucy Bronze (Lyon)
Best players of the 2018/19 Uefa Champions League
Goalkeeper: Alisson (Liverpool)
Defender: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Midfielder: Frenkie de Jong (Ajax)
Forward: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
Uefa President's Award: Eric Cantona
The Bloomberg Billionaire Index in full
1 Jeff Bezos $140 billion
2 Bill Gates $98.3 billion
3 Bernard Arnault $83.1 billion
4 Warren Buffett $83 billion
5 Amancio Ortega $67.9 billion
6 Mark Zuckerberg $67.3 billion
7 Larry Page $56.8 billion
8 Larry Ellison $56.1 billion
9 Sergey Brin $55.2 billion
10 Carlos Slim $55.2 billion
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
The Details
Article 15
Produced by: Carnival Cinemas, Zee Studios
Directed by: Anubhav Sinha
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Sayani Gupta, Zeeshan Ayyub
Our rating: 4/5
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Polarised public
31% in UK say BBC is biased to left-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is biased to right-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is not biased at all
Source: YouGov
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
Seemar’s top six for the Dubai World Cup Carnival:
1. Reynaldothewizard
2. North America
3. Raven’s Corner
4. Hawkesbury
5. New Maharajah
6. Secret Ambition
Suggested picnic spots
Abu Dhabi
Umm Al Emarat Park
Yas Gateway Park
Delma Park
Al Bateen beach
Saadiyaat beach
The Corniche
Zayed Sports City
Dubai
Kite Beach
Zabeel Park
Al Nahda Pond Park
Mushrif Park
Safa Park
Al Mamzar Beach Park
Al Qudrah Lakes
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Barcelona v Liverpool, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE).
Second leg
Liverpool v Barcelona, Tuesday, May 7, 11pm
Games on BeIN Sports
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Difference between fractional ownership and timeshare
Although similar in its appearance, the concept of a fractional title deed is unlike that of a timeshare, which usually involves multiple investors buying “time” in a property whereby the owner has the right to occupation for a specified period of time in any year, as opposed to the actual real estate, said John Peacock, Head of Indirect Tax and Conveyancing, BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates, a law firm.
Stats at a glance:
Cost: 1.05 billion pounds (Dh 4.8 billion)
Number in service: 6
Complement 191 (space for up to 285)
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In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
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- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
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THREE
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Jetour T1 specs
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