Chinese Facial Recognition Firm Says It Can Now Identify People Wearing Masks (thenextweb.com) 36
Hanwang Technology, a Chinese firm specializing in facial recognition software, says it can now identify people that are wearing masks to protect against the coronavirus. The company says it used a sample database of around 6 million unmasked faces and a smaller database of masked faces to create the system. The Next Web reports: The Beijing-based firm, which also goes by the English name Hanvon, began to develop the tech in January, as people in China began donning face masks in their droves. The system was rolled out just one month later. Hanwang Vice President Huang Lei says the system's recognition rate reached about 95% when people wore a mask -- still some way below its regular success rate of 99.5%.
China's SenseTime, the world's most valuable AI startup, announced in February that it had also adapted its product to identify people wearing masks. Such developments have led critics to claim that the coronavirus is being used as an excuse to ramp up surveillance. In the case of Hanwang, there is still one way to hide from its system: wearing the fashionable combination of both a face mask and sunglasses.
China's SenseTime, the world's most valuable AI startup, announced in February that it had also adapted its product to identify people wearing masks. Such developments have led critics to claim that the coronavirus is being used as an excuse to ramp up surveillance. In the case of Hanwang, there is still one way to hide from its system: wearing the fashionable combination of both a face mask and sunglasses.
Depends on what they mean (Score:2)
If they mean that their AI can tell apart the people who are wearing masks from those who are not, that is not an achievement.
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And there are many characteristics facial recognition software can still pick up that are not always covered by a mask. Size, shape, colour and relationship between parts like eyes, ears,neck, as well as total head size, and shape,etc. is a lot of filtering data still available. AI, especially given the huge database already accumulated, is able to pick up, measure and filter very subtle differences in physical characteristics not readily noticeable by the human eye, and is getting better at it as time pass
Even mask wearing patterns could mean something (Score:4, Interesting)
One way an AI could possibly get extra data from someone wearing a mask, is how they position the straps across the hair or head, or how a mask fits around the nose and chin.
Possibly even the mask type could add something but I imagine people use different masks so that wouldn't help much.
How much longer before China mandates visible QR codes on masks somewhere, like a sticker you put on the side...
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What the system detects really well, is what kind of glasses they are wearing, so generic sun glasses should be your choice.
Automatic signup for the 'gratitude education' (Score:5, Interesting)
Chinese Facial Recognition Firm Says It Can Now Identify People Wearing Masks
Great, now they can have automatic registrations for the 'gratitude education' classes.
"A top Chinese official called for 'gratitude education' in order to teach citizens to properly thank the government for fighting the coronavirus"
https://www.businessinsider.co... [businessinsider.com]
Oh good (Score:2)
Glad we tackled the really important parts. Imagine people live and cannot be put under total surveiallance!
Re:Oh good (Score:5, Insightful)
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Simple workaround (Score:2)
Wear a mask that looks like someone else -- checkmate surveillance state.
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Wear a mask that looks like someone else -- checkmate surveillance state.
Guess again. IR and UV sensors in addition to visible light.
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IR and UV sensors in addition to visible light.
IR and UV can't see through plastic.
Radar maybe.
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IR and UV sensors in addition to visible light.
IR and UV can't see through plastic. Radar maybe.
Its not about seeing through the mask, its about using new features/metrics. How a unique individual imprints unique patterns onto the mask. Differently shaped faces having different contact points. These are just new features/metrics to consider.
When you don't care about false positives (Score:5, Insightful)
The Chinese government are tyrants who don't actually care if they punish the innocent, so a high rate of false positives isn't an issue for them. They don't need to "get the bad guy". They just need to get someone.
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Its a Communist system.
No, it's a fascist one that calls itself communist. Or do you think East Germany was a democratic republic because that's what they called themselves?
Facial Recognition with Mask On (Score:3)
So COVID-19 was China's way to get a large training sample for their "facial recognition with masks" software platform.
Response to Hong Kong protesters (Score:2)
That explains everything. So COVID-19 was China's way to get a large training sample for their "facial recognition with masks" software platform.
Well Hong Kong protesters are making it a problem for them.
taiwan flag FTW (Score:5, Funny)
https://i.redd.it/cos1bpvk5xd4... [i.redd.it]
caution, though: it could be dangerous.
what if (Score:1)
I'm wearing an eye mask?
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Ye be a sorry pirate if ye be wearing a patch over both eyes, yar!
It's amazing but... (Score:2)
...it works only when they are wearing name-tags.
Anybody can do that (Score:1)
Bring back the balaclava! (Score:3)
So the next step is get your gran to knit you a balaclava! As kid born in the 70s I must have had 3 knitted for me for the winter months, when I got to about 10 years old and terrorists and bank robbers were associated with balaclavas we all stopped wearing them. Last one I got was from my wife but it was rather odd though, it was made of leather and had zips over the eyes and mouth, she assured me the zips were there for keeping the wind out on cold days, she's so thoughtful.
So bring back the balaclava if you want to protect you face from spying!
Yeah, but... (Score:1)
Yep (Score:2)
That guy is wearing a mask.
Easy.
Except for... (Score:1)
The end of superheroes! (Score:2)
No secret identity is safe anymore!
Its a poor knife that doesn't cut both ways (Score:2)
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