[IP] Re: face recognition flop why do I not believe this

[David Farber <dave@farber.net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Brad Templeton <btm@templetons.com>
Date: July 27, 2007 9:20:53 PM EDT
To: David Farber <dave@farber.net>
Cc: ip@v2.listbox.com
Subject: Re: [IP] Re: face recognition flop why do I not believe this

On Thu, Jul 26, 2007 at 06:18:56PM -0400, David Farber wrote:
> Discussing the merits of a biometric system in terms of only either  
> the
> FAR or FRR is misleading, to put a generous face on it.

In addition, while these systems are flawed today, it is hard not to  
concede
they will get better with time, and in not too long become quite  
usable and
superior to humans.   We need to figure out what to do about them  
based on
that not-too-distant assumption, as well as worrying about whether  
they can
be workably used today.

One particularly disturbing realization is that the superior facial  
recognition
of the future will be able to reach back into the past by scanning  
old recordings.
Storage is cheap.  As we start logging the data on cameras found on  
street corners,
in ATMs, in shops, for traffic congestion etc. we will make it  
possible for the
computers of the future to build a complete map of where everybody  
was, at any
time, today.  Not just in the future.


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