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3 hours ago
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British universities seeking to save time and money by automating their interviews with international students face a new threat: “deepfake” applicants.
Enroly, a software platform used by a number of universities to automate their application processes, said it had uncovered something “straight out of a sci-fi film” after catching a small number of candidates using deepfake technology to record their online interviews.
A deepfake uses artificial intelligence-generated images or audio to replace faces and voices, allowing applicants to replace their words or accent with a more fluent version, or to disguise the fact someone else entirely is giving the answers.
So far Enroly said the numbers are tiny – with only about 30 cases out of 20,000 interviews during this year’s January intake – but it is evidence that the technology is, in its words, “the future of fraud”.
Phoebe O’Donnell, Enroly’s head of services, who revealed the deception in a blogpost, said that deepfakes are “the stuff of nightmares for interview assessors – fake faces layered over real ones, complete with expressions and movements.
“It’s like something out of a spy film. And yes, they’re incredibly hard to detect. But hard isn’t impossible. Thanks to real-time tech and a few clever tricks up our sleeves, we’ve already stopped several attempts,” she said.
“It’s a small but growing trend, and we’re determined to stay ahead of it and work with our partners and the wider sector.”
Last year the chief executive of WPP, the world’s biggest advertising group, was targeted in an elaborate deepfake scam that involved an AI-generated voice clone and video representing him on a conference call.
O’Donnell said Enroly’s analysts found “outright deception” being used in 1.3% of the 20,000 interviews, with deepfakes accounting for just 0.15%, far behind more traditional methods such as impersonation and lip-syncing or “third-party support” from someone off-camera.
Enroly said it uses multiple methods to weed out fraud, including facial recognition and passport matching.
A number of UK universities now use automated online interviews and questionnaires to screen international student applicants, especially before issuing the crucial confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS) certificate required for the Home Office to issue a visa.
The automated interviews allow applicants to record answers to randomly selected questions through the online platform, which are later reviewed by university admissions staff. Those that are unsatisfactory or suspicious can be flagged for further review – including a live interview with the candidate.
UK universities need to carefully vet international applicants. They risk losing their licence to sponsor students through UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) if the Home Office refuses more than 10% of its sponsored applicants in a year.
The automated interviews can be used to check an applicant’s performance and how well they communicate in English in a fraction of the time taken by live online interviews.
