Proving you’re human in the age of AI could become as easy as ABC

Financial fraud in India is rising rapidly; now, fraudsters can potentially deploy AI agents to defraud thousands simultaneously through automated AI-generated calls and convincing human-like conversations.

The key question in the age of AI is: How do you prove you are human online?

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The traditional methods of distinguishing between humans and AI bots online, like the familiar CAPTCHA tests that require users to identify a string of blurry letters, are becoming ineffective. Artificial intelligence has already cracked CAPTCHA: short for ‘Completely Automated Public Turing Test to tell Computers and Humans Apart.’

Similarly, websites that require extensive personal information for verification are not the way forward either, as they compromise user privacy. We need a solution that balances security with privacy protection, ensuring that we interact with real people without asking them to disclose personal data.

I recently co-authored a paper with a brilliant group of artificial intelligence researchers from OpenAI, Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Microsoft and other institutions titled, ‘Personhood Credentials: Artificial Intelligence and the Value of Privacy-Preserving Tools to Distinguish Who is Real Online.’ (bit.ly/4k3TKVc).

In this paper, we explore the concept of ‘personhood credentials’ (PHCs), which are digital credentials designed to verify, in a non-repudiable manner, that an online user is a real person rather than an AI bot at the point of a transaction or an interaction.

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The implementation of a system that makes use of personhood credentials requires three steps: verification, issuance and authentication.

A trusted entity, like a government or reputed company, first confirms a person is real using biometrics, in-person checks or other secure online methods. The user then receives a digitally signed ‘PHC’ (think of it as a certificate of one’s personhood credentials) that can be stored on a digital device like a smartphone. While accessing an online service, this can be presented as proof of humanness, allowing verification without revealing personal information.

Let’s take the imaginary example of a Zoom call between a bank relationship manager Ram, say, and a customer called Shyam.

Let us imagine that Ram has been issued personhood credentials by Aadhaar, India’s digital identity system run by the Unique Identification Authority of India, after due verification. Let us also suppose that Zoom, the service provider or relying party in this case, has integrated its digital systems with the Aadhaar personhood credential system. 

Now, during the Zoom call between the two individuals, Shyam sees a ‘Digital Badge of Personhood’ on Ram’s video screen. If Shyam wants to verify this badge and ensure that Ram is not an AI fraudster bot, he can click on the badge and scan its Quick Response (QR) code to check if personhood credentials were indeed issued to Ram and digitally signed by Aadhaar.

As the above example indicates, personhood credentials could help us address several online challenges. By limiting the creation of automated fake accounts, they can reduce the spread of misinformation and online manipulation.

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They also add a layer of security against AI-driven fraud, making phishing scams and financial fraud significantly harder to execute. Additionally, personhood credentials can improve online safety on social media, forums and dating apps by ensuring that users interact with real people, creating a more trustworthy digital environment.

How does an issuer of personhood credentials verify that a user is human?

Several scalable approaches are being explored across the world for this. One method is biometric authentication, which uses fingerprints, iris scans or facial recognition to confirm the user’s humanness. An example of this, of course, is Aadhaar. 

Another is the Web-of-Trust (WoT) approach, where existing verified users vouch for new members, building credibility over time through social verification. An example of this is BrightID. Social network-based verification can also be used, where a user’s interactions with verified accounts and consistent human-like online behaviour help establish authenticity. Example: SybilRank.

India, with its advanced digital public infrastructure, is uniquely positioned to explore personhood credentials at scale. Aadhaar, which already uses biometric verification for identity confirmation, could be leveraged to issue privacy-preserving personhood credentials to verify humanness in this age of AI.

Also Read: Private companies can use Aadhaar infrastructure for identity checks again

As described earlier in the Zoom call case, Aadhaar could issue a badge that proves a user is human without revealing the user’s Aadhaar number or other private details.

Such an approach would allow individuals across the country to verify their personhood on digital platforms like online banking services, government portals and social media without compromising their privacy.

The importance of such a system cannot be overstated. Trust is the backbone of all social and commercial transactions in both the physical and digital world. If we cannot trust the identity and credibility of those we interact with online, the very fabric of digital transactions starts to unravel.

As AI-powered agents become increasingly sophisticated and pervasive, we risk losing confidence in digital interactions. Personhood credentials provide a compelling solution—a privacy- preserving way to verify humanness, safeguard authenticity and protect users from AI-driven fraud. The need for such verification is clear, and India, with its strong digital infrastructure, is well positioned to take the lead in shaping a future where trust and security remain intact in an AI-driven world.

The author is former chief technology officer of Aadhaar, co-founder of eGovernments Foundation and 10BedICU, and founder of Trustt, an AI-powered digital banking platform.