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The Technology Facebook and Google Didn’t Dare Release

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Summary

This article discusses the development of facial recognition technology by tech giants such as Facebook, Google, and Apple, and how the technology has been developed and used by smaller companies like Clearview AI and PimEyes. It explores how the technology has been used by the police, authoritarian governments, and businesses to monitor people, and how it may soon be available to the public in the form of apps or augmented reality glasses. The article also examines how free code shared online, a vast array of public photos, and academic papers have contributed to the development of this technology.

Q&As

What technology did Facebook engineers build which could have put a name to any face?
Facebook engineers built a tool that could put a name to any face.

What prevented tech giants from releasing this technology?
The tech giants chose to hold the technology back, deciding that the most extreme version - putting a name to a stranger's face - was too dangerous to make widely available.

How did smaller, more aggressive companies such as Clearview AI and PimEyes push the boundaries of facial recognition technology?
The smaller, more aggressive companies pushed the boundaries of facial recognition technology by releasing face search engines paired with millions of photos from the public web (PimEyes) or even billions (Clearview).

What technology do Air Force bases have funding for?
Air Force bases have funding for Clearview AI's version of its app that works with augmented reality glasses.

What was the reaction to Andrew Bosworth's comments about facial recognition technology?
In response to Andrew Bosworth's comments about facial recognition technology, he said that it was "hugely controversial" and that granting broad access to it was "a debate we need to have with the public."

AI Comments

👍 Kashmir Hill's article is a great exploration of the ethical implications of facial recognition technology, and the development of such technology by larger tech companies.

👎 Kashmir Hill's article fails to take into account the potential abuse of facial recognition technology, and how it can be used to invade people's privacy.

AI Discussion

Me: It talks about the technology that Facebook and Google had built years ago that could put a name to any face, but they decided not to release it. Now, start-ups like Clearview AI and PimEyes have done it, and it's raising some serious ethical and legal questions about facial recognition technology and privacy. It could mean the end of anonymity.

Friend: Wow, that is serious! It's scary to think that companies can track us just by using our facial recognition.

Me: Yeah, it's definitely concerning. It's easy to see how this technology could be abused, and it could lead to serious violations of our privacy and civil liberties. It's also possible that authoritarian governments could use this to monitor their citizens. So it's clear that there needs to be some regulation and oversight to ensure that this technology is used responsibly and ethically.

Action items

Research the legal implications of facial recognition technology and its use in augmented reality glasses.
Reach out to local lawmakers to discuss the potential risks of facial recognition technology and its implications for privacy.
Join a discussion group or forum to learn more about the ethical implications of facial recognition technology and its potential uses.

Technical terms

Neural Network Technology: A type of artificial intelligence software that uses a network of interconnected nodes to process data and make decisions.
Open-Source: A type of software that is freely available to the public and can be modified and redistributed.
Biometrics: The use of physical or behavioral characteristics to identify an individual.
Augmented Reality: A technology that overlays digital information onto the physical world.
Godfather of AI: A nickname for Geoffrey Hinton, a computer scientist and artificial intelligence researcher.
Face Recognition Library: A collection of code used to identify and recognize faces.
Air Force: The branch of the United States military responsible for air and space operations.
Augmented Reality Glasses: A type of eyewear that displays digital information in the wearer's field of view.