Real cameras can actually use autofocus to fight AI fakes? Sony uses clever 3D tricks to prove videos were shot with cameras

Sony’s autofocus system may actually hold the technology to prove whether a video was made by a camera or a fake created by AI. This week, the tech giant expanded its Camera Verify AI detector to support video as well as still images, but the way the software works actually uses some 3D technology, likely related to Sony’s autofocus system.

Camera Verify is beta software that uses AI to flag fakes by analyzing photos (and now videos) to determine if the content was created inside a Sony camera. This program is designed for journalists and news organizations, and the software requires a paid license. The program was launched last year for still images, but now supports video as well.

The program uses three key verification factors, including C2PA (Content Provenance and Authenticity Coalition) based digital signature reading and verification using capture time stamps.

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Camera Verify software screenshot — (Image provided by Sony)

But the third factor the software uses to prove that the video came from a camera and not a bot is actually tied to the brand’s autofocus system. Sony explains that the software also checks if real-world subjects were captured using 3D depth detection.

Some of Sony’s high-end cameras have a feature called focus map. It’s designed to help videographers quickly see what’s in focus and what’s not. But depth data has multiple purposes, and Sony is currently using it to help fight counterfeits by searching for depth data within a file’s metadata.

Without a 3D depth map, a malicious user could use a camera to capture AI-generated images or videos playing on a TV screen in order to obtain a C2PA camera stamp. But by using 3D depth maps, Sony’s software can also determine whether an image or video is a 2D print or screen shot, or an actual 3D scene that happened in real life.

Although Camera Verify is in beta and only available to certain journalistic outlets, it’s interesting to see autofocus technology being used to combat AI fakery. Sony’s autofocus uses AI for subject detection, so it’s like AI fighting generative AI. The new video detection feature has been rolled out to support footage shot with Sony A1 II, A1, A9 III, A7R V, A7S III, and A7 IV. Support for A7 V will also be added as early as May 2026.