Startup launches deepfake detection capable of tracing images to specific tools

Canada-based content analysis provider Winston AI has launched a forensic image detector that the company says can trace deepfakes back to their source.

The new tool can pinpoint which parts of an image were manipulated, according to Winston AI, as it can determine how they were altered, and which AI model or editing tool produced the changes.

“Until now, detection tools told you whether to trust an image,” says John Renaud, CEO of Winston AI. “Ours tells you exactly where not to trust it, and which tool put it there. That’s the difference between a smoke alarm and a fire investigator.”

More than 10 million people use the AI content-detection platform, which Winston AI designed for high stakes environments such as journalism and fact checking, legal evidence review, academic integrity checks and content moderation teams. In principle, it could also have value for fraud prevention teams handling images submitted for KYC checks that they suspect may be biometric deepfakes.

Instead of offering a binary “real‑or‑AI” verdict, the system analyzes images using six independent forensic techniques. These map pixel‑level anomalies such as broken camera‑sensor fingerprints, inconsistent compression, unnatural edges and noise patterns.

When combined with metadata and C2PA provenance signals, Winston AI’s tool is, when possible, capable of attributing an image to a specific generative model or editing software.

A multimodal reasoning model compiles the findings into a structured report that includes an authenticity verdict and confidence score. The software produces a written summary along with region‑by‑region manipulation breakdowns and tool attribution where possible.

The forensic image detector is available now on the company’s website in both a lightweight screening mode and a full advanced forensic mode.

Deepfake detection is an emerging area. Biometric Update and Goode Intelligence have a 58-page buyers guide, presenting commercially available options with a breakdown of the key suppliers, and what to look out for in a deepfake supplier.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  deepfake detection  |  deepfakes  |  generative AI  |  synthetic data  |  Winston AI