Growing use of deepfake technology in video calls raises global security and financial concerns

New solutions rely on multi-layer verification to curb identity fraud in digital meetings

Zoom has announced a new partnership with World, the human identity verification company founded by Sam Altman, aimed at ensuring that participants in meetings are real people rather than accounts or AI-generated personas.

The move comes amid rising risks of “deepfake” fraud in video conferencing, an increasingly sophisticated method that has caused major financial losses for companies worldwide. In one of the most notable incidents in 2024, a global engineering firm lost around $25 million after an employee carried out financial transfers during what turned out to be a fully fabricated video meeting involving AI-generated executives.

Estimates suggest that losses linked to deepfake-enabled fraud exceeded $200 million in the first quarter of last year alone, while average corporate incidents can cost more than half a million dollars, highlighting the scale of the growing threat.

World argues that traditional detection methods, which rely on analyzing video frames for signs of manipulation, are no longer sufficient as AI systems become increasingly capable of producing highly realistic images and footage.

The new technology, called “World ID Deep Face,” uses a multi-layer verification system that combines a pre-registered image taken during sign-up, a live facial scan of the user, and real-time analysis during the call. A “verified human” badge is only issued when all data points match.

For its part, Zoom said users will be able to activate a dedicated waiting room that requires identity verification before joining meetings, with the option to request verification from any participant during a call if needed.

Company spokesperson Travis Isaman said the feature reflects Zoom’s broader approach of building an open ecosystem that offers additional tools to strengthen trust in meetings, depending on each client’s needs.

World also plans to expand its human verification technologies to other platforms, including dating apps and financial services, as concerns grow over the spread of AI-generated content in the digital space.