The Power of Viettel AI’s eKYC Technology: A Game-Changing Innovation

Revolutionizing Face ID with the World’s Most Advanced Technology

A wanted criminal arrives at the bus station, and smart security cameras provided by Viettel’s services instantly recognize their face using electronic identification technology and automatically alert the authorities.

This will be made possible by Viettel eKYC, developed by Viettel’s Data Services and Artificial Intelligence Center (Viettel AI). The system has successfully obtained the international standard ISO 30107-3:2023 Level 2 certification for facial recognition, the highest anti-spoofing face standard in the world today.

According to Viettel AI, this level of technology can detect sophisticated fraud attempts in 3D forms such as silicone masks, faces reconstructed with specialized scanners, and deepfake videos. As per Tayllorcox’s assessment report, the Viettel eKYC system has passed approximately 3,000 tests with a 0% error rate, outperforming the 1% allowed by the standard.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) of the US Department of Commerce ranks this eKYC technology among the top 4 in the world for facial recognition from tilted angles.

This achievement is the result of a four-year research endeavor by Viettel AI, from 2020 to the present. The breakthrough advancements in eKYC technology from Viettel AI occurred in the last two years when the company’s engineers discovered a method to automate the data creation and AI model training process. This, coupled with Viettel’s early investment in a supercomputer system, significantly enhanced the AI models, particularly the facial recognition system, in a short period.

While it previously took Viettel AI 3-6 months to label data and run an AI model, with the supercomputer and automated data creation and training processes, this time has been reduced to just 3 days. Viettel AI’s eKYC technology has made significant progress and obtained the international standard ISO 30107-3:2023 Level 2 certification for facial recognition, the highest anti-spoofing face standard globally.

The Uniqueness of Viettel AI’s eKYC

Mr. Le Dang Ngoc, Deputy Director of the AI Platform Block at Viettel AI, shared that their facial recognition technology has the added advantage of being optimized for the unique facial characteristics of Vietnamese individuals. This sets it apart from foreign technologies of a similar level. “Vietnamese faces have distinct features in terms of facial structure, skin tone, and other aspects, so Viettel AI’s recognition technology incorporates these specific factors. This also contributes to higher accuracy in identification and better anti-spoofing capabilities,” said Mr. Le Dang Ngoc.

In addition to possessing the highest global certification for facial recognition, Viettel AI’s eKYC technology incorporates three additional factors for cross-checking, making fraud almost impossible. Firstly, it utilizes verified mobile number data with OTP codes, a security measure not commonly found in other eKYC service providers. Secondly, Viettel collaborates with the Ministry of Public Security to integrate with citizen ID cards, ensuring higher accuracy. Thirdly, Viettel AI has mastered the core technology from the outset, including facial recognition, voice recognition, and fingerprint identification.

“We understand that while current tests indicate a 0% spoofing potential, hackers may eventually find ways to circumvent these protections. This requires Viettel AI to continuously enhance its technology to strengthen anti-spoofing measures,” said Mr. Le Dang Ngoc.

Within Viettel alone, the new eKYC technology ensures the security of financial transactions for over 25 million customers, reducing paperwork by more than 80% and saving up to 70% in processing time. This success has led to an expanded client base for Viettel AI’s eKYC, including banks, financial companies, businesses, and government agencies.

Immediately following the requirement for biometric authentication for money transfers over 10 million VND, effective from July 1, 2024, as mandated by the State Bank of Vietnam, Viettel AI continued to collaborate with banks, Viettel Money, and new partners to implement enhanced processes such as loan disbursement and insurance contracts. There are also plans to apply eKYC technology in various other fields, including education, examinations, healthcare, tourism, and accommodation. Viettel eKYC is expanding its applications from the financial domain to other areas such as digital signature issuance, electronic contract signing, attendance tracking, security control, account opening, card issuance, loan underwriting, and fraud detection in credit, insurance, and telecommunications.