Latest news about Bitcoin and all cryptocurrencies. Your daily crypto news habit.
Opinions aboutĀ facial recognition technology and artificial intelligence are all over the place. The combination of these two powerful technologies couldĀ have amazing orĀ disastrous consequences. Stanford University professor Michal Kosinski predicts that a face-reading AI will one day be able to detect oneāsĀ IQ and even political orientation. This is a very unsettlingĀ prospect, if true.
Face-reading AIs can Become a big Problem
On paper, it makes a lot of sense to combine facial recognition technology with artificial intelligence. From a security point of view, it would allow law enforcement agencies to track criminals or suspects in a more proactiveĀ manner, rather than simply following clues left behind. However, from a privacy point of view, these technologies should never be combined ā at least not until proper laws are drafted to ensure this āunholy marriageā does not result in an invasion of consumer privacy.
Stanford University professor Michal Kosinski sees an interesting, albeitĀ frightening future ahead when these two technologies converge. In his opinion, artificial intelligence will ā at some point ā be able to detect oneās sexual orientation based on photos. That statement has caused a fair amount of fireworks across social media, as many people were not too pleased about that. Then again, there is virtually nothing these combined technologies would not be able to determine, which makes this whole ordeal a lot scarier than most peopleĀ realize.
Kosinski went even further by suggesting thatĀ a face-reading artificial intelligence would be able to determine other aspects about oneās personal life. For example, it would theoretically be possible to successfully determine oneās political inclination usingĀ AI. Since politics are always a topic of substantial controversy in the United States, such a tool would be quite valuable to the right individuals. The same technology couldĀ be used to determine peopleās IQs, criminal behavior, and some other very personal aspects.
The combination of AI with facial recognition tools would create severe privacy risks. If all of that information couldĀ be accurately derived from oneās photo, the U.S. would turn into a police state of sorts. That is not an outcome anyone is looking forward to, for obvious reasons. Facial recognition technology can cause disturbing side effects in ways most people cannot even comprehend. It also shows how this technology is a direct threat to the privacy of everyoneĀ on this planet, even in its ādumbā form.
This also begs the question of whether or not facial recognition technology should be coupled with artificial intelligence in the first place. Making an already invasive system smarter and more thorough can yield positive and negative results alike. Human faces tell a lot about our personalities and what we do. Having such invasive technology at oneās disposal to create nearly-full profiles of other people based on their facial structure is not something any of usĀ want. With photos becoming more public than ever before ā mainly thanks to social media ā it would not take much effort to turn our freely shared information against us.
No one will be surprised to hear that the research conducted by Kosinski is considered highly controversial. This kindĀ of research will spark new debates about the things that actually matter. Such tools can easily be used for specific political or social agendas, which is something everyone should oppose in a more active manner. It is possible governments and nefarious groups already have such technology at their disposal today. If that is the case, no one knows for sure what the future holds or how suchĀ technology may be used.
Disclaimer
The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not reflect the views of Bitcoin Insider. Every investment and trading move involves risk - this is especially true for cryptocurrencies given their volatility. We strongly advise our readers to conduct their own research when making a decision.