A pair of Harvard students have developed a chilling demonstration showcasing how smart glasses can employ facial recognition technology to swiftly reveal individuals’ identities, phone numbers, and addresses.
The most disconcerting aspect of this demo is that it utilizes readily accessible technology, such as Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, along with public databases.
One of the students, AnhPhu Nguyen, shared a video demonstrating the technology, which was later featured by 404 Media.
Known as I-XRAY, the system leverages the Meta smart glasses’ capability to stream video live to Instagram. A computer application tracks that stream, employing AI to recognize faces.
The captured images are then processed through public databases to retrieve names, addresses, phone numbers, and even details about relatives. This information is subsequently relayed back through a mobile app.
The demonstration features Nguyen and Caine Ardayfio, the project’s other student, as they utilize the glasses to instantly recognize various classmates, revealing their names and addresses, along with the names of their relatives.
In a particularly unsettling moment, the pair is depicted engaging in casual conversations with strangers on public transport, acting as if they are familiar with them based on the insights obtained from the technology.
For some time now, facial recognition technology has demonstrated alarming accuracy, and I-XRAY primarily combines several existing technologies.
One of its key components is PimEyes, a face search engine labeled “alarmingly accurate” by The NYTimes in 2022, accessible to the public.
The emergence of Clearview AI’s use of facial recognition for law enforcement has intensified concerns surrounding this technology.
What sets Nguyen and Ardayfio’s demonstration apart is the integration of this advanced tech with a consumer device that is both discreet and readily available.
Nguyen and Ardayfio emphasize in a project document that their intention in creating this tool is not to promote misuse, nor do they plan to make it publicly available.
Their primary aim is to highlight that the scenario they presented isn’t a distant dystopia; rather, it’s a reality achievable with current technology.
They specifically note the distinctiveness of I-XRAY, as it leverages large language models (LLMs) to function autonomously, establishing connections between names and images from extensive data sets.
Concerns regarding privacy have long surrounded smart glasses. The initial failure of Google Glass can be attributed, in part, to public outrage over being recorded without their consent in public areas.
Nevertheless, over the past ten years, society has gradually adjusted to the prevalence of recording devices, largely due to the proliferation of smartphones, vloggers, and platforms like TikTok.
What is particularly alarming about today’s smart glasses is that they blend in more seamlessly compared to the more noticeable Google Glass.
In the demo, the Ray-Ban Meta glasses appear indistinguishable from any standard pair of Ray-Bans. This resemblance is essential for the acceptance of smart glasses, but it also complicates the ability for bystanders to recognize when someone is recording. Although the
Meta glasses are equipped with a privacy indicator that activates whenever video recording occurs, our observations revealed that the light is difficult to see in bright outdoor conditions.
As a result, individuals frequently remain unaware that they are being filmed, particularly in bustling public environments.
Meta emphasizes in the privacy policy for its Ray-Ban smart glasses that users should avoid being “glassholes.”
The company encourages individuals to “respect people’s preferences” and recommends using gestures or voice commands when recording video, livestreaming, or taking photos.
However, it’s possible that some users may disregard these guidelines, regardless of Meta’s advice. When reporters sought clarification, Meta spokesperson Dave Arnold replied by quoting the terms of service, which echo the same recommendations.
This serves as a stark reminder of the potential misuse of smart glasses, yet there are measures individuals can adopt to safeguard themselves.
In their documentation, Nguyen and Ardayfio provide a list of reverse face search and people search databases that offer opt-out options.
However, it’s important to remember that completely erasing your online footprint is nearly impossible; you can only work towards making your information less accessible.
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