Russian coder Ivan X reportedly employed deepfake technology and generative AI tools to take a senior engineering job remotely at Pindrop. Even as a unique and extreme case, this story illustrates the growing difficulties of remote hiring. The breach has sparked fears around cybersecurity and the integrity of the hiring process. This is all the more troubling as companies are increasingly using video interviews as they hire remote candidates.
Pindrop, a company founded more than a decade ago to combat fraud in voice interactions, is now getting into video authentication. Their goal is to use this technology to ensure an applicant’s identity. Ivan X’s application caught the attention of Pindrop’s recruiters due to his seemingly perfect qualifications. Yet all of his actions during that video interview should have waved an enormous red flag. Recruiters observed that his facial expressions didn’t quite match what he was saying, leading them to watch more closely.
Thanks to deepfake technology that Ivan X had access to, he changed both his appearance and voice convincingly enough to pass himself off as a perfect candidate. He paired a digitally manipulated stock photo with a legitimate but stolen U.S. identity to establish the perfect exterior. Surprisingly, he was able to clear background checks and complete four video interviews before being flagged as an imposter.
Pindrop CEO and co-founder Vijay Balasubramaniyan confirmed the incident, stating, “We are no longer able to trust our eyes and ears.” He further elaborated on the implications of generative AI in this context, remarking, “Gen AI has blurred the line between what it is to be human and what it means to be machine.” This type of sentiment reveals the reality of the situation hiring managers are in—struggling to tell the good candidates from the great impersonators.
With remote hiring here to stay, the problem of fake applications has reached a crisis point. As industry experts reveal, the new threats fueled by deepfake technology can create dangerous traps for organizations looking to properly vet candidates. “Humans are generally the weak link in cybersecurity,” said cybersecurity expert Sesser. “The hiring process is an inherently human process with a lot of hand-offs and a lot of different people involved.”
Pindrop, for one, is already eyeing a pivot into new video authentication services to strengthen its hiring controls. In the case of Ivan X, our company’s new video authentication program proved instrumental in identifying him as a deepfake fraud. This technological breakthrough has the potential of being a beacon for other companies and organizations facing these very same challenges.
The use of AI in recruitment brings up urgent ethical concerns. Companies such as Pindrop are changing the game for how to address these issues. Their success is reflected by the enthusiastic backing of prominent investors such as Andreessen Horowitz and Citi Ventures. As technology advances, organizations need to adapt their strategies to maintain the integrity of their candidates.