Zurich scientists develop chip to help combat deepfakes

Researchers at federal technology institute ETH Zurich have developed a new technology to combat deepfakes. A chip signs images and sounds with a kind of digital signature as soon as they are recorded. This should make it possible to verify the authenticity of content at any time. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox The technology can be integrated into any type of sensor or camera, ETH Zurich announced on Tuesday. Data, images or audio signals would be cryptographically signed in a sensor chip as soon as they are created. Thanks to this signature, it would be possible to prove that the data actually originates from a camera or recording device, when it was recorded and that it has not been tampered with. In order to manipulate the data, a physical attack on the chip would be necessary. This technical effort would be so high that mass production of manipulated content would be practically impossible, explained co-developer Fernando Cardes in the press release.