In a groundbreaking study, scientists from the UK have developed an Artificial Intelligence (AI) system capable of accurately identifying keystrokes on a computer keyboard based solely on sound. This innovative approach allows for the monitoring of a person’s typing activity and even the potential interception of their passwords.
Training the AI
The experiment involved using a smartphone as a microphone, strategically placed next to a laptop where the typing was performed. The AI was trained by associating each keyboard sound with its corresponding letter. The audio recordings were then transformed into visual representations, such as wave diagrams and spectrograms, which were used to further train the AI.asasas
Testing the AI
The AI was then put to the test. A password was typed into a laptop, and the AI was tasked with determining the typed word based on the sequence of sounds. The AI demonstrated remarkable accuracy in this test, correctly identifying the password 95% of the time.
Real-World Application
To simulate a more realistic scenario, the researchers tested the AI’s ability to guess passwords during a Zoom or Skype video call. The AI continued to perform impressively, achieving recognition accuracies of 92% for Skype and 93% for Zoom.
The testing setup included a 2021 MacBook Pro with an M1 chip and a 16-inch screen, an iPhone 13 mini placed 17 centimeters away from the laptop, and the video conferencing applications Zoom and Skype.
Protective Measures
As a countermeasure, the researchers suggest that users adopt the ten-finger typing technique. This method significantly reduces the accuracy of sound recognition from individual keys. Additionally, the use of both upper and lower case letters in passwords, along with special characters, can further hinder the AI’s ability to recover passwords.
However, the most effective protection against such an AI attack would be the use of a password manager. These tools automatically generate complex passwords and enter them into login fields either through a keyboard shortcut or automatically, preventing the AI from intercepting the data through keyboard sound recognition.