Teresa Wu, Vice President at IDEMIA, sat down with our Editor in 2024 to discuss how the industry is navigating the massive influx of artificial intelligence, shifting consumer expectations, and looming next-generation threats. According to Wu, the sector is locked in a high-stakes arms race, forcing identity providers to constantly innovate to stay ahead of increasingly sophisticated bad actors.
Artificial intelligence has long been the silent engine behind biometric identity solutions. Wu explained that from the very beginning of the technology stack, engineers have relied on machine learning, pattern recognition, and dedicated AI engines to train and refine biometric algorithms. Beyond core development, AI also drives modern business operations, powering the intelligence needed to streamline how identities are verified.
However, the biggest “buzz” and anxiety in the industry right now centres around the rise of generative AI threats.
“There’s always going to be spoofing attacks… and AI kinds of fuels both sides,” Wu noted.
Fraudsters are increasingly leveraging generative AI to deploy hyper-realistic deepfakes and synthetic identities, attempting to exploit system vulnerabilities. To counter this, the current baseline for defence relies heavily on inventing smarter, more robust liveness detection and anti-spoofing mechanisms capable of proving a remote online user is a live, breathing human being.
While AI-driven fraud is today’s immediate battle, security firms are also preparing for the next existential threat of quantum computing.
Current global digital infrastructure relies entirely on mathematical encryption that would take traditional computers millennia to crack. However, quantum computers will eventually possess the processing power to shatter those codes instantly.
Wu estimated that the industry has a 10-to-15-year horizon to successfully execute a total cryptographic overhaul. Organisations like the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) are already paving the way, establishing new frameworks to help identity platforms transition toward post-quantum cryptography.
You can meet IDEMIA at Booth #505 on the show floor at Identity Week America 2026!
