A new episode of Transform, the digital government podcast, examines how rapid advances in artificial intelligence are undermining traditional approaches to digital identity and raising urgent questions for public-sector systems. Hosted by Maeve Kneafsey, the episode features Dr Hitesh Tewari, Professor at Trinity College Dublin and a researcher at the ADAPT Centre, who describes how AI can now generate highly convincing identity documents that can evade many existing verification checks.
The discussion explores why document-based identity verification and legacy KYC models are no longer fit for purpose, particularly as AI-driven fraud becomes cheap, scalable, and cross-border. Dr Tewari explains how similar government systems across jurisdictions amplify risk, and why new trust models are needed.
The episode also breaks down the role of blockchain and zero-knowledge proof in enabling secure, privacy-preserving verification, with practical examples spanning energy systems, electronic voting, healthcare data, and efforts to combat greenwashing. The conversation concludes with a look ahead at emerging technologies, including stablecoins, and their potential implications for government and consumers.
Access the interview on Youtube here.
