Reducing the risks of synthetic content: lessons, key insights, and challenges

Artificial intelligence (AI)-generated content has transformed the way we consume information. From texts and images to videos and audio, these tools enable the creation of highly realistic content, but they also pose risks related to misuse and the way we perceive the world around us.  

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onsidering this new landscape, where distinguishing between reality and artifice in the digital realm is becoming increasingly difficult, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the United States published the report Reducing Risks Posed by Synthetic Content, proposing strategies to ensure transparency and reliability in the digital environment. 

What is synthetic content? 

Synthetic content refers to information generated or altered using algorithms, including AI tools. This technology has enabled advancements in creativity and automation, but it has also opened the door to threats such as: 

• Manipulation of public opinion: Fake news, deepfake videos, and manipulated audio can influence democratic processes and public perceptions. 

• Fraud and identity theft: The use of AI-generated voices or images can be employed to deceive biometric authentication systems or commit financial fraud. 

• Compromise of privacy: The collection and manipulation of data can pose risks to user security. 

The report¹ published in November 2024 highlights the importance of maintaining trust in digital media, as fraud continues to grow across all sectors, especially among users who are unaware of advanced protection techniques. 

For organizations and businesses, the challenge is how to implement practical solutions that enable the verification and authenticity of content. 

How to ensure the authenticity of digital content 

Banks, companies, and digital platforms need technologies and strategies that allow them to verify the authenticity of content and mitigate the risk of manipulation. In this context, multiple approaches have been developed for the traceability and validation of digital content. 

TrustCloud is aware of the dangers posed by new forms of fraud that threaten identity verification systems and has built a robust platform that offers advanced solutions (such as signature, video identification, qualified custody, etc.) to mitigate these risks, while also adapting to the size and changing needs of each business. Its approach is based on the integration of innovative technologies that enable secure and efficient identity verification, protecting both users and organizations. 

Contact one of our experts today and request a free demo 

Key technologies for content verification 

• Content authentication: The use of digital signatures and immutable records allows for the certification of the origin and integrity of documents, images, and other files, ensuring that they have not been altered since their creation. Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) is one of the essential technologies for this purpose, providing a secure system for issuing and verifying digital certificates 

• Secure metadata management: Metadata contains crucial information about the origin and modification of a file. Its protection and encryption are vital to prevent unauthorized manipulation and ensure authenticity. However, its use must comply with regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), which establish guidelines for the safe handling of personal data. 

• Real-time traceability: Technologies like blockchain and other decentralised mechanisms allow for the recording of a verifiable history of content, providing an additional layer of security and trust. By using decentralised networks, reliance on a single actor to validate the information is avoided, reducing the risks of manipulation or record deletion. 

• Regulatory compliance: The management of digital content must align with international security and privacy standards. Regulations like ISO/IEC 27001 on information security management and the EU Artificial Intelligence Act establish frameworks for the secure implementation of digital content verification technologies. 

Limitations of current techniques 

Tools like labelling and synthetic content detection, while promising, are not without obstacles in terms of scalability, fairness, and the protection of human rights. The report highlights the importance of adopting a multi-stakeholder approach to address these challenges. Collaboration between governments, businesses, researchers, and civil society will be key to handling the technical and organisational complexity involved in effectively applying these tactics. Additionally, it is crucial that these approaches respect privacy and freedom of expression, placing human rights at the centre of technological development. 

One of the main challenges is the variability in the effectiveness of these tools depending on the type of content. For example, indirect marking—a technique that embeds identifiers in digital files—works relatively well for images but is less effective for AI-generated texts, especially in languages other than English. This issue extends to the detection of synthetic content in videos and audios, where factors such as file quality or language can impact system performance. 

These limitations raise concerns about fairness, as non-English-speaking communities may be excluded from risk mitigation efforts or face higher error rates. It is crucial to encourage research to improve these technologies, identifying entities responsible for providing key data. This will help address critical issues, such as the use of synthetic content in cases of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) or non-consensual intimate images (NCII). 

Towards a safer digital ecosystem 

There is no one-size-fits-all solution to address the risks of synthetic content, but the combination of authentication, traceability, and data security technologies can strengthen digital trust. 

Organisations must work to ensure the transparency of the content they generate and consume, mitigating the risks of manipulation and ensuring a reliable digital environment for users, businesses, and regulators. 

In a world where the line between the real and the artificial is increasingly blurred, investing in content verification and traceability solutions is key to protecting digital integrity and fostering trust in information. 

Contact a TrustCloud expert and get the best defence for your business 

¹ Reducing Risks Posed by Synthetic Content. An Overview of Technical Approaches to Digital Content Transparency | NIST. November 2024