ForceField offers new solution to combat deepfakes and AI deception

ForceField is unveiling its new technology at the 2024 TechCrunch Disrupt, introducing tools aimed at fighting deepfakes and manipulated content. Unlike platforms that flag AI-generated media, ForceField authenticates content directly from devices, ensuring the integrity of digital evidence. Using its HashMarq API, the startup verifies the authenticity of data streams by generating a secure digital signature in real time.

The company uses blockchain technology for smart contracts, safeguarding content without relying on cryptocurrencies or web3 solutions. This system authenticates data collected across various platforms, from mobile apps to surveillance cameras. By tracking metadata like time, location, and surrounding signals, ForceField provides insights that aid journalists, law enforcement, and organisations in verifying the accuracy of submitted media.

ForceField was inspired by CEO MC Spano’s personal experience in 2018, when she struggled to submit video evidence following an assault. Her frustration with the justice system sparked the creation of technology that could simplify evidence submission and ensure its acceptance. Now the startup is working with clients such as Erie Insurance and plans to launch commercially by early 2025, focusing initially on the insurance sector but with applications in media and law enforcement.

The company, which is entirely woman-led, has gained financial backing from several angel investors and strategic partnerships. Spano aims to raise a seed round by year’s end, highlighting the importance of diversity in tech leadership. As AI-generated content continues to flood the internet, ForceField’s tools offer a new way to validate authenticity and restore trust in digital information.