As a seasoned crypto investor with a keen eye for spotting trends and a deep appreciation for the nuances of technology, I can’t help but be captivated by the ongoing race to verify humanity in the digital realm. The increasing prevalence of bots and deepfakes is not just a nuisance, it’s a threat to the very fabric of our online communities.
There’s a flood of deceptive content on the internet, such as deepfakes, automated bots, and artificial intelligence posing as people. Many initiatives are in a competitive race to develop a reliable solution to this issue.
As a researcher delving into this fascinating realm, I’ve come across estimates suggesting that anywhere from 5% to 15% of the user accounts on platform X might be automated (bots). Moreover, it’s staggering to note that Facebook actively removes hundreds of millions of fake user profiles each quarter.
Online games often incorporate automated programs (bots) or artificial intelligence (AI) designed to perform repetitive activities such as mining, farming, or simulating action in games like Hamster Kombat. These bots are used to bypass the need for manual input and can generate rewards, like airdrops, which some players take advantage of unfairly.
On occasion, distinguishing bots can be quite straightforward since they often exhibit repetitive behavior, act in ways that are erratic or make mistakes a human would typically avoid. However, just like identifying poor quality wigs, we usually only notice the obvious fakes, and with technology advancing at such an incredible pace, it’s becoming increasingly challenging to discern what is genuine and who is real. A study conducted by the University of Waterloo in Ontario indicates that humans are not particularly skilled at recognizing artificial human replicas.
In a study conducted in March, participants were asked to categorize 20 facial images, half genuine and half artificially generated using Stable Diffusion or DALL-E. However, just 61% of individuals managed to complete the task, which was significantly lower than the 85% initially expected by researchers.
There are a variety of projects attempting to solve the problem by providing proof of humanity.
As an analyst, I can share that Shady El Damaty, one of the founders of Holonym – a blockchain-centric digital identity platform, outlined their innovative approach to distinguishing genuine individuals from imitators. Instead of traditional methods, they employ a system known as “human keys” for this purpose.
In essence, what makes a human key unique is that it’s based on personal characteristics such as biometric information and details like passwords. Unlike traditional keys generated randomly, these are derived from elements specific to individuals. For instance, you might create a digital wallet using a facial scan or even a Social Security number,” he explained.
In a different blockchain initiative known as Civic, they’ve developed a digital identity verification system that employs “basic video recordings” to authenticate a person’s identity and distinctiveness.
In simpler terms, Titus Capilnean, vice president at Civic, stated that the process of verifying documents offers an additional layer of complexity compared to a straightforward “liveness and uniqueness” check.
In simpler terms, many other blockchain projects are following similar paths. The project “Proof of Humanity” merges social validation and video submissions to establish an anti-Sybil system that prevents fraudulent accounts. Meanwhile, “Privy” serves as a platform for securely onboarding and managing users efficiently, particularly at large scales, by focusing on authentication and key management.
Later, we have Worldcoin’s Orbs that scan irises, employing the gathered information to generate distinct identifiers as a means of verifying individuality. Although it employs Zero-Knowledge proofs and adheres to numerous privacy-focused guidelines, Worldcoin continues to spark significant apprehension.
Privacy matters too
The big drawback to using biometrics to confirm humanity is that many privacy-conscious users are hesitant to provide biometric data to Big Tech companies.
Critics of biometrics often raise concerns in several main aspects. These include potential privacy invasions through surveillance, uncertainties about informed consent, and the storage of personal data by third parties.
Holonym addresses these worries primarily by storing most of the data directly on the user’s device.
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In simple terms, Damaty mentioned that around 80-90% of the data we handle remains on the user’s device itself. However, the data that Holonomy retains, such as a client’s email address, is comparable to other online services and crucial for account recovery purposes.
Damaty emphasized our belief that all aspects should initially function on the user’s device. If, for any reason, something needs to move off the user’s device, we prioritize obtaining permission before granting access to private data.
The application of digital ID
In May, LayerZero initiated a significant operation aimed at detecting and eliminating bots that were trying to manipulate the system fraudulently, multiple times, in order to receive the airdrop more than once honestly.
The system effectively recognized over 200,000 addresses as Sybil accounts or bots, and its performance in terms of token value has noticeably surpassed other projects that distributed tokens to bot owners who later sold them for a profit. (Word count: 54)
During their conversation, Capilnean clarified to CryptoMoon that implementing Civic’s uniqueness test at the beginning would have eliminated the need for the lengthy Sybil hunt altogether, ensuring each user’s distinct identity right off the bat.
The possibilities for Digital ID systems extend further, even reaching into the political arena. Damaty mentioned an instance during Andrew Yang’s 2020 presidential bid when anonymous members of a Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) desired to contribute financially to his campaign.
However, it’s important to note that what they were trying to do was against the law. You can’t finance a political campaign using funds from anyone unless they are confirmed U.S. residents. In this situation, we intervened and provided assistance.
With a system called “Know Your Anon,” pioneered by Holonym, contributors could secretly support Yang’s campaign without revealing their identities. By using government ID, phone number or email, or social security numbers, the system first verified US residency and then facilitated anonymous donations through the application of zero-knowledge technology.
The software was rolled out in partnership with Lobby3, a Web3 community that aims to empower average citizens in Washington D.C., as well as Vouched, a platform for verifying digital identities.
At that point, it became clear to him that the project was essentially establishing a system for public key security, applicable across various domains such as elections and civic facilities,” Damaty explained.
The future
At present, our organization is engaged in a mission aimed at addressing the ongoing refugee issue affecting the Rohingya Muslim community in Myanmar. Due to persecution, they have been forced to flee their homes and seek shelter in neighboring countries such as Bangladesh and Thailand.
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Damaty explained to us that the goal is to construct an improved system for establishing human status and legal identity for these refugees, enabling them to utilize banking and financial services.
In collaboration with organizations like the UN, Refunite, Exile Hub, and the Refugee Fund, Damaty envisions that Holonym’s rapid system for verifying personal identity could serve as a preliminary measure. The goal is to establish government credentials that would enable displaced individuals to gain access to essential services more easily.
Although the idea is only newly developed, it presents an enticing preview of how digital identification could serve as a barrier against the disorderly aspects of the modern age.
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2024-10-22 16:33