AI can see you
Down To Earth|March 01, 2024
Asophisticated and frightening face-recognition algorithm being employed by technology firms could be the end of privacy as we know it
ROHINI KRISHNAMURTHY
AI can see you

Your Face Belongs to Us: The Secretive Startup Dismantling Your Privacy
by Kashmir Hill
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK

WHEN KASHMIR Hill, a technology journalist at The New York Times, tried on a W pair of chunky augmented reality glasses in 2021, she caught a glimpse of what a sophisticated technology could unleash on a world that is not prepared to handle it. The glasses were no ordinary gadget; they revealed to the wearer the identity of any individual seen in the frame. They also displayed photos of the person uploaded on the internet, along with data on where they were clicked.

Powering these augmented reality glasses is an artificial intelligence algorithm designed by Clearview AI, a New York city-based facial recognition technology startup, founded in 2017. The company would go on to sign a contract with the US Air Force to research augmented reality glasses to help with security on military bases. Hoan Ton-That, an Australian national who is the CEO and co-founder of the company, tells Hill that the idea behind the gadget was to help soldiers decide whether someone standing at a distance of 15 m was dangerous or not.

But concerns over the technology's possible misuse are largely ignored by the entrepreneur, who is keen on convincing people why they need to make their faces available for the world to see. This is something that Hill effectively brings out in her book Your Face Belongs to Us.

Esta historia es de la edición March 01, 2024 de Down To Earth.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición March 01, 2024 de Down To Earth.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE DOWN TO EARTHVer todo
A SPRIG TO CARE FOR
Down To Earth

A SPRIG TO CARE FOR

Punarnava, a perennial herb, is easy to grow and has huge health benefits

time-read
3 minutos  |
November 01, 2024
DIGGING A DISASTER
Down To Earth

DIGGING A DISASTER

Soapstone mining near Dabti Vijaypur village has caused many residents to migrate.

time-read
2 minutos  |
November 01, 2024
REVIEW THE TREATMENT
Down To Earth

REVIEW THE TREATMENT

Several faecal sludge treatment plants in Uttar Pradesh suffer from design flaws that make the treatment process both expensive and inefficient

time-read
3 minutos  |
November 01, 2024
MAKE STEEL SUSTAINABLE
Down To Earth

MAKE STEEL SUSTAINABLE

As India works to double its GDP by 2030, its steel industry must balance growth with sustainability. By embracing policies like the Steel Scrap Recycling Policy 2019 and adopting green technologies, India is paving the way for a more sustainable future in steel production

time-read
4 minutos  |
November 01, 2024
Can ANRF pull off the impossible for India?
Down To Earth

Can ANRF pull off the impossible for India?

Anusandhan National Research Foundation is expected to reorient India's innovation goals but funding issues, old mindsets remain a drag

time-read
4 minutos  |
November 01, 2024
TROUBLED WOODS
Down To Earth

TROUBLED WOODS

Forests are a great bulwark against climate change. But this is fast changing. AKSHIT SANGOMLA travels through some of the pristine patches of the Western Ghats to explore how natural disturbances triggered by global warming now threaten the forest health

time-read
10+ minutos  |
November 01, 2024
BLINDING GLOW
Down To Earth

BLINDING GLOW

The science is clear: increased illumination has damaging consequences for the health of humans, animals and plants. It’s time governments introduced policies to protect the natural darkness and improved the quality of outdoor lighting.

time-read
10+ minutos  |
November 01, 2024
GROUND REALITY
Down To Earth

GROUND REALITY

What happens when the soil loses the ability to grow healthy, high-yield crops on its own?

time-read
6 minutos  |
November 01, 2024
GM POLICY MUST BE FARMER CENTRIC
Down To Earth

GM POLICY MUST BE FARMER CENTRIC

On July 23, the Supreme Court of India directed the Union government to develop a national policy on genetically modified (GM) crops for research, cultivation, trade and commerce through public consultation.

time-read
6 minutos  |
November 01, 2024
Vinchurni's Gandhi
Down To Earth

Vinchurni's Gandhi

A 96-year-old farmer transforms barren land into a thriving forest in drought-prone region of Satara

time-read
2 minutos  |
November 01, 2024