In today’s episode, we examine the most significant trends in 2024, breaking down the latest in identity verification, biometrics, AI-driven technologies, and more. What is Trending in 2024: AI-Driven Identity Verification: AI technologies remain a dominant trend, with companies heavily investing in tools to combat AI-generated fraud (e.g., deepfakes) and improve the accuracy of biometric authentication. The trend is reinforced by research on AI morph attacks and synthetic data utilization to protect biometric systems. Digital Wallet Wave: The expansion of digital wallets has gained even more momentum, particularly with mDLs being integrated into platforms like Google Wallet and Apple Wallet. Initiatives like the EUDI Wallet project are accelerating, and digital identity wallets are becoming central to how users manage their identities online. Biometric Boom: Biometrics technology adoption continues to increase across sectors, including finance, healthcare, and travel. Key developments such as liveness detection, advanced facial recognition, and biometric payment systems are contributing to the rapid expansion of biometric use cases. Age Assurance Technologies: Age verification and assurance technologies are growing rapidly in importance due to regulatory pressures to protect minors online. The U.S. court cases and trials in Australia around age assurance highlight the need for innovative biometric solutions to verify age accurately. Prioritizing Privacy: As privacy regulations tighten worldwide, managing biometric privacy and data security has become even more critical. The AI Act in Europe and discussions around BIPA litigation in the U.S. continue to emphasize the importance of safeguarding personal data. Interoperability Initiatives: The focus on interoperability between digital identity systems is increasing, especially with the EUDI Wallet in Europe and discussions in Africa and Southeast Asia about cross-border digital ID integration. Synthetic Data Utilization: The creation and use of synthetic data to improve biometric algorithms and protect privacy is growing, especially as companies seek to train systems without compromising real biometric data. This is a key trend in ensuring the efficiency and security of biometric technologies. New Emerging Trends: Passkey Synchronization: As tech giants like Apple, Google and Oracle shift away from traditional passwords, passkey synchronization across devices is gaining traction. This is indicative of a broader move towards passwordless security, particularly driven by advancements in biometric authentication. Deepfake Detection and Prevention: With deepfake attacks becoming a major concern for fraud and misinformation, companies are increasingly focusing on deepfake detection technologies, which is emerging as a key trend in identity verification & online security. Ethical AI Use in Biometrics: The implementation of ethical AI frameworks, particularly in Europe, to govern the use of AI and biometric technologies is a growing concern. The AI Act and the push for civil rights legislation in the U.S. are shaping how biometric data will be used ethically. Fraud-as-a-Service (FaaS) Threats: The rise of Fraud-as-a-Service (FaaS) has emerged as a critical issue, with experts warning about the proliferation of fraud tools being sold and used to target biometric systems. This is increasing the urgency for enhanced fraud detection solutions. Continuous Authentication: Continuous authentication, where identity is verified dynamically in real time, is gaining momentum as companies seek to provide seamless security without adding friction for users. This trend is being driven by advancements in biometrics and AI. Smart City Integrations: The integration of biometric technologies into smart city initiatives is expanding, with biometrics being used for public security, transport, and urban services. This trend is highlighted by smart city projects in r