McAfee’s new Project Mockingbird aims to stop AI voice clone scams for good

Ahead of CES 2024, McAfee has revealed a new defense tool to detect and prevent AI-generated voice scammers and cybercriminals from acquiring victims’ sensitive information.

The aptly named Project Mockingbird, which McAfee claims has a success rate of over 90%, uses a combination of contextual, behavioral, and categorical detection models.

Unsurprisingly, the Deepfake Audio Detection technology is itself an AI-powered solution, proving that fighting fire with fire might sometimes be the most appropriate answer.

McAfee reveals deepfake voice detector

While such attacks are currently less common, the San Jose, California-based company said that early work on the technology comes in anticipation of a rise in voice deepfakes, citing a study revealing that seven in 10 Americans are concerned about deepfakes making it hard to trust what they see and hear online.

Currently, one-third (33%) of Americans said they or someone they know have seen or experienced a deepfake scam. Elections, public trust in the media, and public figure impersonation are all considered to be key areas of concern for consumers.

With time – and enough data – scammers may also be able to use deepfakes to impersonate regular citizens to access sensitive accounts. Some banks and other organizations use voice recognition-based passwords for over-the-phone authentication.

Company CTO Steve Grobman said: “So, much like a weather forecast indicating a 70% chance of rain helps you plan your day, our technology equips you with insights to make educated decisions about whether content is what it appears to be.”

Public demos of Project Mockingbird are scheduled to be available onsite at CES in Las Vegas.

Grobman added: “We aim to give users the clarity and confidence to navigate the nuances in our new AI-driven world, to protect their online privacy and identity, and well-being.”