Avatar interviewers

Some suggest that fraud examiners could use computerized "avatars" to collect basic information. Here we look at potential technological advancements and the implications of avatars in the fraud-fighting profession. You decide.

The authors contend that little, if any, research exists on testing avatars for the interview component of fraud examinations. However, they're exploring the efficacy of applying avatar concepts from other fields to the anti-fraud profession. The views expressed in this article aren't necessarily those of the ACFE. — ed.

At the Nogales, Arizona, port of entry, travelers step up to a kiosk and an "avatar" (a virtual computerized human) greets them. The avatar then asks them a series of basic immigration questions, and the kiosk assesses the interviewees' responses and behaviors for credibility. The system detects changes in physiology through sensors that can measure millimeter changes in pupil dilation, temperature changes in the face, and pitch and tone changes in the voice.

This example isn't from a science fiction novel. The Department of Homeland Security-sponsored National Center for Border Security and Immigration at the University of Arizona (UA) has deployed and tested an avatar-based rapid screening kiosk at the Nogales port of entry. (See Deception Is Futile When Big Brother's Lie Detector Turns Its Eyes on You, by Adam Higginbotham, Jan. 17, 2013, Wired.)