Fighting unethical AI with responsible AI
Natasha Hougaard will complete her BSc in Artificial Intelligence and Data at DTU this summer, while Magnus Stjernborg Koch holds both a BSc in Software Technology and an MSc in Industrial Engineering and Management from DTU. The partnership is dynamic in the sense that they have been able to leverage each other’s skills.
“Natasha could see from an AI perspective how to combine models to predict trends, while I could see how we technologically could safeguard the user against fraud,” says Magnus Stjernborg Koch, who is also Natasha Hougaard’s partner off work.
They met at DTU when they both worked as volunteers in the student association Polyteknisk Forening (PF), where Natasha Hougaard for a period also acted as the chairperson.
The entrepreneurial duo says that much digital fraud is AI-generated. Many of the fake websites are typically built using the same model, so the pages look almost identical, just with different logos applied.
From couch to office space
One of the criteria for the selection of the Student Startup of the Year, which was announced at DTU’s annual Commemoration Day, is that it is a startup that has experienced great success in its first year of existence. It takes a high degree of dedication and diligence to achieve this goal, which Natasha Hougaard and Magnus Stjernborg Koch can attest to.
The duo was accepted into an entrepreneurship programme in September 2024, moving the start-up from the couch to an office space in DTU’s innovation hub, Skylab. Natasha wrote her BSc project on phishing detection using AI, which is a key part of Skjoldet’s technology. Meanwhile, Magnus wrote his MSc thesis focusing on the launch of Skjoldet and business model development.
Both emphasize that the opportunity to combine their studies with their start-up has had a direct impact on Skjoldet’s success.
Stopping the food chain
Natasha and Magnus complete each other’s sentences and share the same vision for the future.
“Our big vision is to become the digital shield in Europe and globally,” they say in unison.
To that end, Skjoldet is aimed at achieving a special status as a trusted reporter. This will strengthen cooperation with the telecom industry, hosting providers and other companies to which Skjoldet reports the scam sites.
In addition, the entrepreneurs are also exploring how Skjoldet’s data can help authorities investigate digital fraud.
“We see that the scammers use the same websites to scam repeatedly under a new name. It’s crazy that they can do that,” Natasha Hougaard says.
The two entrepreneurs would like to see a coordinated effort between whistleblowers, the telecom and tech industry, and the authorities to stop the food chain of fake websites.
