SafeSpeak 2024: A Call to Arms Against Voice Deepfakes
November 13, 2024, 5:00 am
Location: Russia, Moscow
Employees: 51-200
Founded date: 2021
In a world where voices can be forged like signatures, the SafeSpeak 2024 hackathon emerges as a beacon of hope. Hosted by the Moscow Technical University of Communications and Informatics (MTUCI) and the AIRI Institute, this event invites students from BRICS and CIS countries to tackle the growing menace of audio spoofing. The stakes are high, and the clock is ticking.
Registration is open until November 26, 2024. The hackathon kicks off on November 22, with winners announced on November 30. A prize pool of 225,000 rubles awaits the most innovative minds. But this isn’t just about the money; it’s about safeguarding our digital voices.
The rise of voice deepfakes is alarming. With advancements in machine learning, creating convincing audio forgeries has never been easier. Criminals now wield tools that can mimic voices, deceiving friends, family, and colleagues. The implications are vast, ranging from financial fraud to identity theft. In this digital age, trust is fragile, and the voice is often the key to that trust.
Automatic Speaker Verification (ASV) systems are our first line of defense. These systems verify whether a voice belongs to a specific individual. They’re used in banking, smart devices, and security systems. However, as technology evolves, so do the threats. Generative models and adversarial techniques have made ASV systems vulnerable. What was once a robust defense is now a target.
The hackathon aims to address these vulnerabilities. Participants will develop anti-spoofing technologies to enhance voice authentication systems. The challenge is twofold: create models that are not only accurate but also efficient enough for real-world applications. Teams can consist of one to four members, pooling their skills to combat this pressing issue.
The competition will evaluate solutions based on ASVspoof metrics, ensuring that models meet industry standards for accuracy and reliability. Efficiency is paramount. In a world where speed is everything, solutions must be lightweight and quick, capable of running on standard CPUs. This is not just an academic exercise; it’s a race against time.
Participants will have the option to work in closed or open conditions. In closed conditions, they must rely solely on provided resources, pushing their creativity to the limit. Open conditions allow for the use of pre-trained models and additional audio data, offering a broader toolkit for innovation. Regardless of the path chosen, the goal remains the same: develop a robust anti-spoofing model.
The strategies for tackling voice spoofing are diverse. One approach is a binary classification model that determines whether a voice is genuine or artificially generated. Another, more integrated strategy works alongside ASV systems, allowing for precise identification of the speaker. This dual-layered defense can reject attempts to authenticate using either another person’s voice or a synthetic version of the owner’s voice.
Participants are encouraged to explore various methodologies. From preprocessing raw audio waves to employing convolutional neural networks, the toolbox is rich. Recent advancements, such as the AASIST architecture, have shown promise in resisting spoofing attempts. Teams can build upon these foundations, experimenting with different training schemes and loss functions to enhance their models.
The hackathon isn’t just about coding; it’s a collaborative research endeavor. Participants will produce a technical report detailing their findings and methodologies. This report will be a testament to their hard work and innovation, contributing to the broader fight against voice deepfakes.
As the event approaches, the excitement is palpable. Students are gearing up to showcase their skills, driven by the desire to make a difference. The challenge is daunting, but the potential for impact is immense. In a landscape where trust is eroding, the solutions developed at SafeSpeak 2024 could restore faith in voice authentication systems.
The implications of this hackathon extend beyond the competition. The research and innovations born from this event could shape the future of voice security. As the digital landscape evolves, so too must our defenses. The fight against voice deepfakes is not just a technical challenge; it’s a societal imperative.
In conclusion, SafeSpeak 2024 is more than a hackathon. It’s a rallying cry for students, researchers, and innovators to unite against a common threat. The clock is ticking, and the world is watching. Will you answer the call? The future of voice security depends on it. Join the fight, register now, and let your voice be heard—safely.
Registration is open until November 26, 2024. The hackathon kicks off on November 22, with winners announced on November 30. A prize pool of 225,000 rubles awaits the most innovative minds. But this isn’t just about the money; it’s about safeguarding our digital voices.
The rise of voice deepfakes is alarming. With advancements in machine learning, creating convincing audio forgeries has never been easier. Criminals now wield tools that can mimic voices, deceiving friends, family, and colleagues. The implications are vast, ranging from financial fraud to identity theft. In this digital age, trust is fragile, and the voice is often the key to that trust.
Automatic Speaker Verification (ASV) systems are our first line of defense. These systems verify whether a voice belongs to a specific individual. They’re used in banking, smart devices, and security systems. However, as technology evolves, so do the threats. Generative models and adversarial techniques have made ASV systems vulnerable. What was once a robust defense is now a target.
The hackathon aims to address these vulnerabilities. Participants will develop anti-spoofing technologies to enhance voice authentication systems. The challenge is twofold: create models that are not only accurate but also efficient enough for real-world applications. Teams can consist of one to four members, pooling their skills to combat this pressing issue.
The competition will evaluate solutions based on ASVspoof metrics, ensuring that models meet industry standards for accuracy and reliability. Efficiency is paramount. In a world where speed is everything, solutions must be lightweight and quick, capable of running on standard CPUs. This is not just an academic exercise; it’s a race against time.
Participants will have the option to work in closed or open conditions. In closed conditions, they must rely solely on provided resources, pushing their creativity to the limit. Open conditions allow for the use of pre-trained models and additional audio data, offering a broader toolkit for innovation. Regardless of the path chosen, the goal remains the same: develop a robust anti-spoofing model.
The strategies for tackling voice spoofing are diverse. One approach is a binary classification model that determines whether a voice is genuine or artificially generated. Another, more integrated strategy works alongside ASV systems, allowing for precise identification of the speaker. This dual-layered defense can reject attempts to authenticate using either another person’s voice or a synthetic version of the owner’s voice.
Participants are encouraged to explore various methodologies. From preprocessing raw audio waves to employing convolutional neural networks, the toolbox is rich. Recent advancements, such as the AASIST architecture, have shown promise in resisting spoofing attempts. Teams can build upon these foundations, experimenting with different training schemes and loss functions to enhance their models.
The hackathon isn’t just about coding; it’s a collaborative research endeavor. Participants will produce a technical report detailing their findings and methodologies. This report will be a testament to their hard work and innovation, contributing to the broader fight against voice deepfakes.
As the event approaches, the excitement is palpable. Students are gearing up to showcase their skills, driven by the desire to make a difference. The challenge is daunting, but the potential for impact is immense. In a landscape where trust is eroding, the solutions developed at SafeSpeak 2024 could restore faith in voice authentication systems.
The implications of this hackathon extend beyond the competition. The research and innovations born from this event could shape the future of voice security. As the digital landscape evolves, so too must our defenses. The fight against voice deepfakes is not just a technical challenge; it’s a societal imperative.
In conclusion, SafeSpeak 2024 is more than a hackathon. It’s a rallying cry for students, researchers, and innovators to unite against a common threat. The clock is ticking, and the world is watching. Will you answer the call? The future of voice security depends on it. Join the fight, register now, and let your voice be heard—safely.