Trust, Verification, and the Future of AI: A Defining Moment for Our Industry

by Clarissa Cerda, Chief Legal Officer at Pindrop

The recent flood of over 10,000 public comments to the White House’s Request for Information on the AI Action Plan signals a historic turning point for artificial intelligence in America. At Pindrop, we were proud to contribute our perspective as a leader in deepfake detection, urging policymakers to address the very real and immediate risks posed by generative AI and synthetic media. Having served in the White House, shaped legal strategy at LifeLock (NYSE: LOCK), and spent the past eight years helping Pindrop advance the frontiers of AI security, I can say unequivocally: trust, transparency, and verification have never been more essential.

When I began my career in public service, trust was the bedrock of effective governance and innovation. At LifeLock, a proactive identity theft prevention company, I helped build legal and compliance frameworks that brought enterprise-grade identity protection to everyday consumers, recognizing early on that the digital threat landscape was evolving rapidly. That mission-to safeguard identity-has only grown more urgent as I have witnessed firsthand the acceleration of AI’s capabilities and the new vulnerabilities it creates.

Today at Pindrop, our focus is clear: defending the authenticity of human identity in a world where voices, images, and behaviors can be convincingly faked. The challenge now goes far beyond traditional data protection. It is about ensuring that what we see and hear online is real. Why? Because the cost of getting it wrong is measured in lost trust, compromised security, and societal harm.

Pindrop stands at the intersection of innovation and security, developing technologies that verify not just who is on the other end of a call or interaction, but whether that “who” is even human. In an era when AI can convincingly mimic anyone, verification is not a luxury, it is the foundation of trust in our digital society.

The White House’s AI Action Plan is more than a policy proposal; it is a call to action for industry, policymakers, and the public to build systems rooted in accountability, fairness, and resilience.

The overwhelming engagement with the RFI demonstrates that Americans care deeply about how AI will shape their lives and are demanding robust safeguards. Trust in AI must be earned through systems that are transparent, verifiable, and resilient against even the most sophisticated threats. At Pindrop, we have spent the last decade preparing for this moment, continually raising the bar for authentication and security.

Looking forward, I am confident that those who prioritize trust, verification, and responsibility will define not just the technical future of AI, but its societal impact as well. This is a future in which we all have a stake. At Pindrop, we are honored to help lead the way.