Brief
CLEAR founder says AI safety hinges on fixing identity verification
The CLEAR founder warns that AI agents can exploit weak identity checks, urging stronger verification to protect payments and corporate systems.
By Felo News Desk · Published
In an interview, the founder of CLEAR argued that fast‑moving AI agents can be safe only if the identity layer is strengthened. He illustrated the risk with a scenario where a fraudster impersonates an executive during an account‑recovery call, registers an AI agent and then uses it to conduct fraudulent transactions.
What happened
The founder described how traditional identity proofs—driver’s licenses, Social Security numbers—were never designed to confirm who a person is at the moment of access. Data breaches now give attackers the factual details needed to mimic a legitimate user, and generative AI can produce matching faces and voices. As AI agents begin to buy products, move money and open sensitive systems, the founder says the first identity decision often still relies on passwords, security questions and phone calls, which do not prove the caller’s true identity.
What the reports add
He noted that major firms such as Google, Visa and Mastercard are building systems that let AI agents make payments and access credit‑card credentials, highlighting how quickly the technology is being adopted. CLEAR, a certified Qualified Anti‑Terrorism Technology under the Department of Homeland Security, has spent 16 years developing trusted identity solutions that the founder believes can secure these new AI capabilities.
What was said
“If true identity were confirmed, we could have stopped the damage that followed,” the founder told Fortune. He added, “When trusted identity is embedded, you get both speed and safety.”
How it came about
The founder linked the current push for AI‑driven automation to the longstanding need for stronger identity verification, citing CLEAR’s experience in travel and security and the broader industry trend toward AI‑enabled transactions.
Key facts
- CLEAR founder says AI agents can be safe only with strong identity verification (fortune.com)
- Fraudsters can impersonate executives via phone calls to register AI agents (fortune.com)
- Google, Visa and Mastercard are developing systems that let AI agents make payments (fortune.com)
- CLEAR is a certified Qualified Anti‑Terrorism Technology under the Department of Homeland Security (fortune.com)
Sources
- [1] fortune.com — originally reported as “CLEAR founder: fast AI can be safe AI when we fix the identity layer”
