Another Facebook thread: Facial Recognition Software is CREEPY!

[IotaNet]

I wanted to recount an experience that I had with Facebook this past weekend that has me re-evaluating the whole deal. I don't know exactly what to think but it sure creeped me out.

I uploaded about a half-dozen family photos to my account over the weekend. They were group photos of me, my wife, my daughter, my mother-in-law, my son-in-law. Once the photos were uploaded, the weirdness kicked in:

The Facebook system put a square around each of the faces in the photos and grouped them by person and automatically suggested the names -- and it was 100% spot on each time!!! (The only time it was wrong was in one photo where it mis-identified my daughter as my wife -- but they look enough alike to be sisters sometimes.) THAT'S CREEPY AS HECK TO ME!!!!

I mean this is a consumer application. Think of all the ATM cameras, security cameras, traffic cameras and satellites. Now, cross reference that with all of the online activity each of us do -- including Amazon.com, Google and yes, Talkbass. Now cross-reference THAT with Facebook and now you have a database that does a pretty efficient job of cataloging your face, finances, and activities.

I'm not a conspiracy theorist and I don't see "Big Brother" behind every tree and post but that really put something on my mind.

[Jim Nazium]

I agree it's a bit creepy. Very impressive from a software standpoint, however.

[allexcosta]

Law enforcement has had this technology for many years.

Your face, finances, and activities ARE cataloged.

Soon enough the government will have accurate data of how many minutes you spend on shower everyday and graphic representations of your bowel movements.

With the new nanotechnology there will be no place to hide for criminals or good people. It's just the way it is...

In a few decades your brain activity will be monitored and they will try to implant microchips on everyone that's born...

And we're not getting into artificial intelligence...

[Muzoid]

Definitely creepy in the hands of those who shouldn't really need it.

But I don't find it any more impressive than OCR (Optical Character Recognition) actually...basically just a more advanced version, and OCR has been out for quite a long time.

[Selta]

Pretty much every modern camera has facial recognition, and has had it for years. People really should try more to keep up with the technology they use.

[champbassist]

Originally Posted by Ray Salamon

Pretty much every modern camera has facial recognition, and has had it for years. People really should try more to keep up with the technology they use.

+1

I know of student projects from 15 years back that implemented this using MATLAB. Facial recognition algorithms and their applications with a considerable amount of efficiency have been around for a quite some time.

What I think is the OP's point, though, is how good the FB software is at doing that. That is definitely true. It does a really good job.

[Selta]

The only thing that really "amazes" me at all (I use that term very lightly, as it really doesn't amaze me as much as impress me) is for the people who have hundreds / thousands of "friends" and how quickly it matches them. Otherwise, it doesn't really impress or amaze me in accuracy or anything like that.

[MrDOS]

I, too have been impressed with the technology. But, when it's wrong, it can be funny. My drummer was wearing a shirt with skulls on it. FB identified 2 of the 4 skulls as my wife!

Time to gain some weight, honey!

[IotaNet]

Originally Posted by champbassist

... What I think is the OP's point, though, is how good the FB software is at doing that. That is definitely true. It does a really good job.

Exactly.

Plus the implications of this technology (in the wrong hands) is frightening to me.

[Muzoid]

Originally Posted by Ray Salamon

Pretty much every modern camera has facial recognition, and has had it for years. People really should try more to keep up with the technology they use.

I think it's a bit different....my cam has FR, but it won't say "That's your Mom"

Just knows it's a face a sets the focus for portrait.

[Selta]

Originally Posted by Muzoid

I think it's a bit different....my cam has FR, but it won't say "That's your Mom"

Just knows it's a face a sets the focus for portrait.

It's just an extension of the same technology. All FB does is facially recognize a person, then compares it to other faces it recognizes. "Oh, hey, these two look alike." (Yes, I'm oncer-simplifying it on purpose).

[Muzoid]

Originally Posted by Ray Salamon

It's just an extension of the same technology. All FB does is facially recognize a person, then compares it to other faces it recognizes. "Oh, hey, these two look alike." (Yes, I'm oncer-simplifying it on purpose).

Ok, yes I agree...it's just a more advanced technology than my camera has per say...

Fairly simple when you think about it....everyone's face has distinguishing features different enough for software to say "this is Bob, and this is Susan"

I say test it with identical twins, and see how good it really is

FB will be the final end of all things private soon, I've already had to kindly ask a family member to stop posting pics of my daughter online...not that there was anything wrong with the pics...I just don't feel comfortable with people posting her online without my permission, but yet there's no law that says they can't...hence the reason I just politely ask them to refrain, and they usually see my concern that their geographic data is there, and cel pics can have geo-data-tags that can tell you where the pic was taken accurate to within about 15 feet.

I may be being too overly cautious, but so be it.

[Selta]

Nothing wrong with that at all, Muz. My FaceBook is pretty private all-in-all. About the most that I could be found easily on is my Band's FaceBook, but I've been untagging myself from those pics too. But really, considering my name is my TB handle, I'm pretty easy to find.

[TheSuzie]

At least one good side effect of always having my face obscured when I am in public.

I worked in a lab that did machine vision work back in the early 1980s. Most of the commercial systems at that time did pretty simple feature extraction as processing power was much more expensive, power hungry and bulky. Even custom hardware was barely adequate to perform simple inspections at automated production line speeds. Simple facial comparisons were more like a count to three proposition.

A few years later, some scientists I knew were doing much more complex image analysis but back then the computations took a matter of minutes on a standard PC.

With today's level of tech.....

[Eric Perry]

Originally Posted by Jim Nazium

I agree it's a bit creepy. Very impressive from a software standpoint, however.

Yup. Agreed.

[Muzoid]

Originally Posted by TheSuzie

At least one good side effect of always having my face obscured when I am in public.

Until FB launches Hooter Recognition Software....


or large Carrot

[jmattbassplaya]

Originally Posted by IotaNet

I wanted to recount an experience that I had with Facebook this past weekend that has be re-evaluating the whole deal. I don't know exactly what to think but it sure creeped me out.

I uploaded about a half-dozen family photos to my account over the weekend. They were group photos of me, my wife, my daughter, my mother-in-law, my son-in-law. Once the photos were uploaded, the weirdness kicked in:

The Facebook system put a square around each of the faces in the photos and grouped them by person and automatically suggested the names -- and it was 100% spot on each time!!! (The only time it was wrong was in one photo where it mis-identified my daughter as my wife -- but they look enough alike to be sisters sometimes.) THAT'S CREEPY AS HECK TO ME!!!!

I mean this is a consumer application. Think of all the ATM cameras, security cameras, traffic cameras and satellites. Now, cross reference that with all of the online activity each of us do -- including Amazon.com, Google and yes, Talkbass. Now cross-reference THAT with Facebook and now you have a database that does a pretty efficient job of cataloging your face, finances, and activities.

I'm not a conspiracy theorist and I don't see "Big Brother" behind every tree and post but that really put something on my
mind.

I had a similar experience last summer when I uploaded photos to facebook. I was impressed that it could just recognize what a face was, let alone guess who it is and be right most of the time.

[Muzoid]

I've seen family members fight it out on FB for everyone to watch, instigate and comment on (very sad)

I've seen people think they were hiding major insults and gossip, only to find out it made it to the others wall

I've seen people fight over a wrongly worded posts, that seems like the opposite of what the actually meant, because the don't communicate well in text.

I've seen people get pissed off because their invited guests didn't read the FB Wedding Invitation in time, and miss the wedding. (because they're too cheap to go traditional)

I'm so sick about hearing about hangnails, sore backs and the never ending "saddest video ever" competitions.

I am so happy to be FB free....life is good.

500 Million Friends....minus 1

[TheSuzie]

Originally Posted by Muzoid

Until FB launches Hooter Recognition Software....

I do keep the girls well covered in public. Suppose it would depend on the type of camera they use. I think a lead lined top may cause some back problems.

I do wonder how long it will be before cameras and RFID scanners are on every street corner.

S

[MrDOS]

Originally Posted by TheSuzie

I do wonder how long it will be before cameras and RFID scanners are on every street corner.
S

Ha! Not in my lifetime, I predict. I'd be happy if this "recession" is done by then