Specially Designed Masks Defeat Facial Recognition Software

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Many computerised facial recognition systems (FRS) can identify persons of interest even though they are wearing a mask. This is very important for security and law enforcement across the globe, as the use of face coverings is still prevalent following on from the Covid 19 pandemic. Researchers in Israel, however, created specially designed masks which defeated several types of FRS. Terrorists and criminals will be quick to use this tactic to evade identification and arrest.

The Association notes that, once again, the need for human Super Recognisers to combine with and enhance FRS is clearly demonstrated.

Read the full article here:

Researchers defeat facial recognition systems with universal face mask - Help Net Security

New Novel Features Super Recogniser - "Black Wolf"

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A New York Times best-selling author is to release a new book, “Black Wolf”, which features the skill of Super Recognition. The release date is 14th February 2023.

From the article - Next year, there will be a new, stand-alone (thus far) espionage thriller from Kathleen Kent, the author of the excellent Detective Betty Rhyzyk series. Black Wolf sounds really interesting: an espionage thriller set during the final years of the Cold War thriller, it stars a CIA agent with a particular and peculiar skill: she is a “super recognizer”.

Read full details at this link:

Upcoming: BLACK WOLF by Kathleen Kent (Mulholland/Head of Zeus) | Civilian Reader

The Association wishes Kathleen the best success with Black Wolf.

Innocent Man Freed After Seventeen Years in Prison - Could Super Recognisers Have Helped?

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Richard Jones was convicted of aggravated robbery in Kansas City, USA in 2000 and sentenced to seventeen years imprisonment - on the basis of eye-witness testimony alone. He was picked out by witnesses and convicted, despite there being no physical evidence such as DNA or fingerprints.

His appeals were refused, but he found his own “doppelganger” in the prison where he was serving his sentence. Jones has now been freed and compensated by the State of Kansas. The two men could be twins…but Super Recognisers would be able to tell them apart.

See the article and see what differences you can spot!

Man wrongfully convicted for doppelganger's crime awarded $1.1 million - ABC News (go.com)

Celebrity is Prosopagnosic...Brad Pitt is NOT a Super Recogniser!

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Brad Pitt may be many things, but he is NOT a Super Recogniser. In this article, the Hollywood actor explains the impact that suffering from face blindness has had on his life. Perhaps he needs a Super Recogniser to help him out! The Association is sure that there are a few fans out there….

Brad Pitt opens up about suffering with "face blindness" (cosmopolitan.com)

Racist & Sexist Computers - More Reasons to Use HUMAN Super Recognisers

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On 16th July, the Washington Post reported that:

As part of a recent experiment, scientists asked specially programmed robots to scan blocks with peoples’ faces on them, then put the “criminal” in a box. The robots repeatedly chose a block with a Black man’s face.

Those virtual robots, which were programmed with a popular artificial intelligence algorithm, were sorting through billions of images and associated captions to respond to that question and others, and may represent the first empirical evidence that robots can be sexist and racist, according to researchers. Over and over, the robots responded to words like “homemaker” and “janitor” by choosing blocks with women and people of color.

The study, released last month and conducted by institutions including Johns Hopkins University and the Georgia Institute of Technology, shows the racist and sexist biases baked into artificial intelligence systems can translate into robots that use them to guide their operations.

See the full report via the link below. This is more reasons to use HUMAN super recognisers, to identify people AND to verify identifications made by AI.

Robots trained on AI exhibited racist and sexist behavior - The Washington Post

Further Attempts to Ban Computerised Facial Recognition in the UK

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The UK should ban all use of facial recognition technology until a clear legal framework has been developed to regulate it, an independent report has said.

A new report from the Ada Lovelace Institute has said there is an “urgent” need for a new framework governing “biometric” technologies – including facial recognition technologies – before they are deployed against the public by either public or private bodies.

The independent report, written by Matthew Ryder QC (Queen’s Counsel - a senior lawyer), said the government should temporarily ban all use of these technologies, until legislation is in place, as it said a legally binding code governing the use of facial recognition tech should be published as soon as possible.

See the full report here:

UK should ban facial recognition technology until clear legal framework is set, new report says (msn.com)

English Super Recogniser Appears on German Quiz Show

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Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) Andy Pope of the West Midlands Police has earned an international reputation as a Super Recogniser and rightfully so - he has identified over 2000 criminals in Birmingham. Andy was filmed on the German TV Show “Kaum Zu Glauben!” (“Hard to Believe!”) where the contestants have to guess the unusual jobs of the guests. If you line in Germany - see if you can recognise Andy! The date for broadcast is to be confirmed, but the programme is shown on Saturday evenings on the NDR channel. He is also an Honorary Fellow of the Associate in recognition of his crime-busting work.

Human Super Recognisers v Computers

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This article, originally from the USA and now in the Hindustan Times, gives information on the performance of software and humans when recognising faces. It features PC Pat O’Riordan, a top Super Recogniser, who was given Honorary Fellowship of the Association by Lord Lingfield for his excellent work on the Grenfell Enquiry. Pat will also be familiar to many students who have attended SRI courses.

Facial Recognition vs ‘Super-Recognizers': Humans have the edge over tech? | Tech News (hindustantimes.com)

Super Recognisers see through Masks & Sunglasses

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We live in a world where many members of the public (and not just robbers!) wear masks. Criminals will often take advantage of face coverings and sun glasses to hide their features, so that they cannot be identified on the street or when CCTV or other footage is reviewed after a crime.  Such items can also hinder automated facial recognition systems. Research by Prof Josh Davis and others have shown that HUMAN Super Recognisers are still able to recognise people, despite masks or sunglasses, and that they consistently out-perform controls. 

There are officers and staff with this skill in your police force, law enforcement agency or security company. My team can find them and train them to enhance the service you deliver. They can then ensure that more crimes are prevented and detected. Use the natural skills possessed by your team!

https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.201169