Explainer | How facial recognition works: how good is the tech at identifying people under different conditions?
- Advanced surveillance systems combine methods to identify partially exposed faces, gait patterns and distinguishing body features.
- In the US, a new device helps identify a person’s unique heartbeat over long distances using infrared laser
Facial recognition is increasingly being deployed around the world by law enforcement and border control to building management to secure access and improve surveillance. But how good is the technology in correctly identifying individuals under different conditions?
The accuracy of facial recognition systems has come under increased scrutiny as Oakland joined San Francisco in May in banning facial recognition software by city agencies, partly over concerns that the software would throw up false positives.
Although identification would depend on various factors and be very high without a mask concealing a face, the latest surveillance systems can be capable of making a correct match, according to interviews with several researchers who work at Chinese AI companies.
Their view is based on recent studies made on surveillance techniques beyond existing facial recognition systems, the researchers said. Those include methods to identify partially exposed faces, gait patterns and various distinguishing body features.
In China, the advances being made on facial recognition are used by various cities to name and shame minor offenders, spot a criminal among a crowd and verify the identities of passengers at airports. Using sophisticated algorithms, Chinese technology companies and other major businesses have adopted those systems in the retail, travel and banking environments.