February 26, 2026
Tony Martino was featured in a recent Spectrum News story discussing how advancements in artificial intelligence are reshaping something as critical — and deeply human — as proof of life in missing person and criminal investigations.
As AI-generated audio and video become increasingly realistic, traditional methods of confirming someone’s well-being are being challenged in ways we haven’t seen before. From deepfakes to sophisticated synthetic content, technology that offers enormous benefits also introduces complex risks for law enforcement, families, and investigators alike.
In the piece, I talk about both sides of this reality—how AI can complicate proof of life and, at the same time, how it can be harnessed to detect manipulation and support investigations.
“Like any new tool, people who have ill intent find it very quickly, and the people who are defending against those threats need it very quickly.”
Thank you to the Spectrum News team for including this perspective and for spotlighting the real-world impacts of emerging technology.
Watch the whole story here.
