AI + a16z

When Deepfakes Steal $30M: The New Edge of Cybercrime

Episode Summary

AI is changing the security game. a16z partner Joel de la Garza talks with Kevin Tian, cofounder & CEO of Doppel Security, about the rise of social engineering attacks, why LLMs are now core to defense, and how Doppel is automating detection, takedowns, and even training simulations. They also discuss deepfake fraud, building at the edge of new model releases, and why the hardest problem today is engineering time—not ideas.

Episode Notes

AI is transforming both sides of the cybersecurity cat-and-mouse game. Attackers are using LLMs to scale impersonation, phishing, and even deepfake fraud—while defenders are racing to automate detection and takedowns at the same speed.

In this episode, a16z partner Joel de la Garza talks with Kevin Tian, cofounder & CEO of Doppel Security (and former Uber engineer), about building in this new landscape. They cover:

• Why outsider founders sometimes build the most effective security companies
• The “3 V’s” framework for today’s social engineering attacks: volume, velocity, variety
• How Doppel uses reasoning models and reinforcement fine-tuning to cut false positives and improve precision
• Simulation tools like “vibe phishing” to train employees on real attacker tactics
• The shift from manual cyber-intelligence services to AI-driven, software-margin businesses
• Why the biggest bottleneck now isn’t model cost—but engineering time to deliver the right context

If you’re building security products or exploring how AI can automate tough edge cases, this is a ground-level look at what’s working—and what comes next.