As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to evolve, the lines between human and machine interactions online are becoming less clear. While this progress brings exciting opportunities, it also highlights the importance of ensuring we can confidently and securely verify human identity in the digital world. Establishing trustworthy and privacy-respecting ways to confirm personhood is becoming an essential part of navigating our increasingly digital lives.
A recent paper titled "Personhood Credentials: Artificial Intelligence and the Value of Privacy-Preserving Tools to Distinguish Who is Real Online" introduces the concept of personhood credentials (PHCs). A PHC enables an individual to prove their human status to online services, without revealing personal information and without necessarily relying on biometric data. PHCs can be issued by various trusted entities, including governments, and are designed to be both local and global in scope. The use of PHC, therefore, aims to balance the need for online anonymity with the necessity of establishing trust.
The paper highlights two critical AI-driven trends that exacerbate online deception:
- Indistinguishability: AI's ability to generate human-like content, create realistic avatars, and perform actions that mimic human behaviour makes it difficult to differentiate between genuine users and AI entities.
- Scalability: The cost-effectiveness and accessibility of AI technologies allow malicious actors to deploy deceptive operations on a massive scale, amplifying their impact.
One prominent example of AI-powered deception at scale is the use of deepfake technology in social engineering scams. In a well-publicised case, fraudsters used AI-generated voice cloning to mimic the CEO of a company and instructed an employee to transfer large sums of money to a “trusted partner”. Because the voice sounded convincingly real, the employee complied – resulting in a significant financial loss. What makes this particularly alarming is that such technology is becoming more affordable and easier to use, enabling cybercriminals to replicate this kind of attack across multiple organisations with minimal resources.
Compounding the issue, traditional countermeasures, such as CAPTCHAs, are becoming increasingly ineffective against sophisticated AI systems. Moreover, stringent identity verification processes often infringe upon user privacy, creating a conundrum for online platforms striving to maintain both security and user trust. PHCs provide a means for users to signal their authenticity without sacrificing anonymity.
In the African context, PHCs could be transformative. Individuals across the continent face challenges related to identity verification due to a lack of proper documentation and infrastructural inefficiencies. South Africans, for example, require visas for 96 countries because of a lack of trust in the country’s passports. Such obstacles hinder access to essential services, economic participation, and cross-border interactions. By adopting PHCs, African nations can enable their citizens to engage securely in the global digital economy.
Establishing trusted digital identities is of critical importance. According to Carrie Peter, managing director of Impression Signatures and Advocacy Committee vice-chair at the Cloud Signature Consortium: "In an era where AI blurs the lines between human and machine, ensuring that individuals can securely and privately assert their personhood online is not just a technical necessity but a fundamental human right."
The path forward requires a concerted effort to develop PHCs-systems that are privacy-preserving, user-centric, and cross-border interoperable.
“This way we can create a digital environment where trust is restored, and individuals are empowered to navigate the online world with confidence. As AI continues to evolve, the imperative to distinguish between human and artificial agents will only grow more pressing,” concludes Peter. “PHCs represent a vital step towards safeguarding human identity in the digital age, ensuring that the internet remains a space for genuine human connection, safe interactions and mutually beneficial global recognition.”