Note · 1 min read
DetectifAI wants to put deepfake voice checks on phones
After an AI-generated voice tricked her grandfather into paying a ransom, founder Tarini Padmanabhuni started DetectifAI. The company says its compact models can spot fake voices on a phone without sending audio to the cloud.
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DetectifAI is building voice-detection software that phone makers could add directly to their devices. Founder Tarini Padmanabhuni says the on-device system could check calls and voice messages without audio leaving the phone.
Her grandfather paid a ransom after a caller used a deepfake imitation of his brother’s voice to claim he had been kidnapped. DetectifAI currently has early revenue, Padmanabhuni says, and processes more than 100,000 calls a month for financial institutions in India.
The startup is selling its software to phone manufacturers and also plans to license it to businesses and fraud-prevention firms. It has raised a small seed round from Josh Constine and Manohar Kamath.
Why it matters
If phone makers adopt the software, people could get a warning about a fake voice during a call without sharing the audio with a remote service.
Sources & references
| # | Source | Outlet | Date | Key takeaway |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | After a deepfake voice fooled her grandfather, this founder sprang into action ↗ | TechCrunch | Sep 28, 2026 | After her grandfather was scammed by a deepfake of his brother's voice, Tarini Padmanabhuni founded DetectifAI, a San Francisco startup buil |
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