Surge of new AI firms claim to offer hyperaccurate deepfake detection

In a world desperate not to be fooled by artificial intelligence, Deep Media is a rising star.

The Bay Area start-up — which claims it can identify eerily lifelike, AI-created images, audio and video with 99 percent accuracy — has won at least five military contracts worth nearly $2 million since late 2022, including a $1.25 million deal to develop a custom detector to help the Air Force counter Russian and Chinese information warfare. Last month, its CEO, Rijul Gupta, testified before a Senate subcommittee about the threat AI “deepfakes” pose to U.S. elections.