Hany Farid

Hany Farid is a distinguished professor at the University of California, Berkeley, with a joint appointment in Electrical Engineering & Computer Sciences and the School of Information.1 His expertise lies in digital forensics, forensic science, misinformation, image analysis, and human perception.12

Academic Background

Farid received his undergraduate degree in Computer Science and Applied Mathematics from the University of Rochester in 1989, followed by an M.S. in Computer Science from SUNY Albany, and a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Pennsylvania in 1997.2 After completing a two-year post-doctoral fellowship in Brain and Cognitive Sciences at MIT, he joined the faculty at Dartmouth College in 1999, where he remained until 2019.23

Professional Achievements

Farid has received several prestigious accolades, including:

• Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship
• John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship
• Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors2

He is widely recognized as a pioneer in the field of digital forensics and has been called the "father" of digital image forensics.4

Current Roles and Affiliations

At UC Berkeley, Farid holds multiple positions:

• Professor in Electrical Engineering & Computer Sciences and the School of Information
• Member of the Berkeley Artificial Intelligence Lab
• Member of the Center for Innovation in Vision and Optics
• Member of the Vision Science program23

Additionally, he serves as:

• Senior Advisor for the Counter Extremism Project
• Director on the Board of Directors for the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative
• Advisory Board Member for the Human Rights Center at UC Berkeley School of Law
• Content Advisory Council member for TikTok3

Research and Expertise

Farid's research focuses on developing mathematical and computational techniques to detect various forms of tampering in photos, videos, audios, and documents.5 He is particularly known for his work on:

• Detecting digitally manipulated images, including deepfakes
• Analyzing the human perception of manipulated images
• Addressing issues related to misinformation and disinformation14

His expertise has led him to consult for intelligence agencies, news organizations, courts, and scientific journals seeking to authenticate the validity of images.4

Hany Farid's work continues to be crucial in the evolving landscape of digital media and its impact on society, particularly in the areas of misinformation and digital forensics.