In the 21st century, the integrity of digital media and information is increasingly threatened by deepfakes, that is, highly realistic, AI-generated synthetic content. This technology harbors considerable risks of disinformation, fraud, and manipulation of public opinion. To meet this challenge, the Federal Agency for Breakthrough Innovation SPRIND is running the innovation competition SPRIND Funke Deepfake Detection and Prevention on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV).

Scientific advances in recent years have produced new findings and methods in the field of artificial intelligence and machine learning. These can be used to develop more powerful systems for detecting and preventing deepfakes. Although various approaches to combating deepfakes have already been demonstrated, these have so far often been limited to niche applications or specific types of deepfakes. However, the aim must be to develop comprehensive and scalable solutions that can ensure trust in our media and our communication.

There are a number of challenges to overcome on the way to effective protection against deepfakes. For example, the detection of deepfakes is often not reliable enough at present, as the technologies for creating synthetic content are developing rapidly. Existing detection methods have difficulties being generalized and are often only effective for certain types of deepfakes. Prevention measures have so far been limited and cannot be seamlessly integrated into existing digital infrastructures.

The SPRIND Funke Deepfake Detection and Prevention project aims to develop solutions for effectively detecting deepfake photos and preventing them by making original photos unable to be manipulated. The solutions that will be developed are to cover the entire value chain of digital media processing – from preventive authentication and protection of original content, real-time analysis and detection of manipulated or synthetically produced media, through to seamless integration into existing digital infrastructures and platforms, stated Dr. Jano Costard, SPRIND Challenge Officer.

An expert jury has now selected a total of 12 teams from almost 50 applications, each of which will receive up to EUR 350,000 for the next seven months. The teams come from research institutions, universities, and start-ups from France, Germany, and Slovenia.

In May 2025, the teams will present their solutions to the jury again. The jury will then select up to 10 teams to receive up to an additional EUR 375,000 per team for the further development of their solution until the end of the innovation competition in November 2025.

Further information and the conditions of participation can be found hier.