Global Security Industry Confronts Generative AI Threats with Push for Video Authentication Standards

As generative AI continues to reshape the surveillance landscape, global security stakeholders are racing to strengthen digital trust and safeguard the integrity of video evidence. In an exclusive briefing, Leo Levit, Chairman of the Open Network Video Interface Forum (ONVIF), outlined how the industry is responding to new challenges brought by AI-driven content manipulation, deepfakes, and increasingly complex surveillance systems.

Founded in 2008, ONVIF has established itself as a global leader in setting interoperability standards for IP-based security systems. With more than 500 members and over 25,000 conformant products worldwide, the organisation’s mission has taken on renewed urgency amid the rise of AI-enhanced surveillance and misinformation.

Generative AI: A Double-Edged Sword

According to Levit, generative AI has introduced both opportunities and risks. While AI technologies improve surveillance efficiency—enhancing behavior detection, crowd monitoring, and object tracking—they also create avenues for digital manipulation, such as deepfakes and falsified video footage.

“This dual impact has prompted the industry to invest in authentication tools like digital watermarking and secure media signing,” said Levit. “The ability to verify that footage hasn’t been altered since capture is becoming a critical element of evidence handling.”

Rising Demand for Authenticity and Cross-Sector Collaboration

The growing accessibility of deepfake technology has led businesses and governments to reevaluate their security frameworks. Tactics now include tamper detection, encrypted storage, and secure-by-design camera systems. In high-tech regions like the UAE and the wider GCC, the authenticity of surveillance footage is becoming a national security concern.

Levit emphasised that ONVIF is actively developing standards to counter these threats. Its media signing method aims to confirm video integrity directly from the source, a vital safeguard as smart cities and AI surveillance expand.

The Role of Global Standards in Preserving Trust

ONVIF’s role is central to creating interoperable systems that share reliable data across devices from multiple vendors. With surveillance systems increasingly reliant on AI, ensuring that such data can be trusted is paramount.

“Our standards support secure data exchange, authentication tools, and interoperability across platforms,” Levit said. “This builds trust not only in the systems themselves but in the footage they generate—especially when used in legal or security contexts.”

Restoring Confidence in Video Evidence

Amid rising public scepticism, courts and corporations are demanding greater proof of video authenticity. Innovations like encrypted digital signatures and forensic watermarking are helping establish traceability—from capture to courtroom.

“Transparency and traceability will define the next generation of trusted video surveillance,” Levit concluded. “Without them, the value of video as legal evidence could be diminished in the face of AI.”

As surveillance becomes more data-driven and automated, the focus on verifying reality through secure standards may be what ultimately preserves trust in an increasingly synthetic world.