HTX’s work on harnessing AI to combat deepfakes was showcased at the Smart Nation 2.0 launch.
The AlchemiX presenters at the Smart Nation 2.0 launch. From left to right: Deputy Director Leslie Han, S&S CoE; Lead Engineer Alvin Wong, S&S CoE; Ng Lay Kwan, Head (Strategic Plans), Plans & Strategy Division; Engineer Tan Tiong Kai, S&S CoE; Lead Engineer Priscilla Koh, S&S CoE; Christopher Sia, Acting Director, S&S CoE. (Photo: HTX)
HTX’s work on harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) to combat deepfakes was showcased at the launch of Singapore’s Smart Nation 2.0 vision. A team of Xponents from the Sense-making & Surveillance Centre of Expertise (S&S CoE) and the Plans and Strategy division presented their audio and video deepfake detector AlchemiX at the Smart Nation 2.0 Launch Showcase on 1 October 2024 at Tower 84,Punggol Digital District.
Prime Minister Mr Lawrence Wong was at the event to launch the refreshed Smart Nation 2.0 vision, and he and his fellow cabinet ministers, including Senior Minister Mr Lee Hsien Loong, Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Mr Teo Chee Hean, Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, and Minister for Digital Development and Information, Minister-in-charge of Smart Nation and Cybersecurity, and Second Minister for Home Affairs Mrs Josephine Teo visited the Smart Nation 2.0 Launch Showcase, which featured digital government products which harness technology to improve the lives of citizens.
S&S CoE Lead Engineer Alvin Wong (front, left) discussing AlchemiX with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (front, right) and Minister for Digital Development and Information, Minister-in-charge of Smart Nation and Cybersecurity, and Second Minister for Home Affairs Mrs Josephine Teo (front, second from right). (Photo: MDDI)
S&S CoE Acting Director Christopher Sia (5th from left) explains AlchemiX to Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong (6th from left). Also viewing the AlchemiX exhibit are Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean (front, second from right) and Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan (front, right). (Photo: MDDI)
“Presenting to PM Wong and SM Lee was both exhilarating and daunting – it’s the kind of moment that fills you with equal parts of pride and pressure, but we are proud to be able to fly the HTX flag at this national event!” said S&S CoE Lead Engineer Alvin Wong.
Powered by AI, AlchemiX is an internal tool for government agencies, which can identify tell-tale indicators of deepfake manipulation in facial regions (for video deepfakes) and speech content (for audio deepfakes). To detect audio and video deepfakes, media files are uploaded into AlchemiX, which has an algorithm that assesses whether the files contain evidence of deepfake manipulation.
For audio recordings, users also have the option of uploading a reference file containing an authentic recording of a speaker’s voice into AlchemiX. This would allow the algorithm to compare a new recording against the reference, hence improving accuracy.
The AlchemiX team is currently further developing this cutting-edge AI tool to detect image deepfakes. According to S&S CoE, one tell-tale indicator in fake images is when objects present do not follow the laws of physics.
