First for Teesside, First for Me: Securing Innovate UK CyberASAP Funding
I am delighted to announce that GUARD: Generated Unauthentic Ad Recognition & Detection has secured funding from the UKRI Innovate UK Cyber Security Academic Startup Programme (CyberASAP). This is an important step forward for our mission to make digital advertising more secure, authentic, and compliant in the age of generative AI.
It’s also a moment of personal pride. This is the first time that a black, female, early-career academic from Teesside University has been awarded CyberASAP funding as the Principal Investigator.
Addressing a Critical Gap in Ad Compliance
In 2024, UK digital ad spend reached £36bn, up 13% year-on-year. While this fuels creativity, it also increases compliance risks. Our Phase 1B market validation revealed that 85% of industry professionals are concerned about AI misuse in ads, yet 80% have no dedicated detection or compliance tools.
GUARD addresses this gap by analysing images, audio, video, and text to flag:
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Undisclosed synthetic media, such as AI-generated influencers or voiceovers, without proper labelling.
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Unsubstantiated factual claims, where the supporting evidence is weak or missing.
Using multimodal forensics alongside ASA/CAP guidance, GUARD generates clear, explainable reports to help brands and agencies reduce rework, minimise complaints, and avoid regulatory penalties.
Why This Matters
With regulators tightening rules and fines under the EU Digital Services Act reaching up to 6% of global revenue, having reliable, automated checks is becoming essential. GUARD offers a practical safety net for creative and compliance teams, enabling them to use AI responsibly while maintaining public trust.
Acknowledgements
This milestone would not have been possible without Dr. Mohammad Abdur Razzaque and my colleagues at REO. I am also grateful to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, UK Research and Innovation, and the CyberASAP Year 9 cohort for their invaluable support.
The Next Steps
With Phase 2, we will move into proof-of-concept development, testing GUARD with real-world users to refine its accuracy, usability, and impact. If you work in advertising, whether as a platform, brand, agency, or regulator, we would love to hear from you – info@ad-guard.co.uk
You can read more about GUARD and other CyberASAP projects on the UKRI Innovate UK Business Connect website.