News

Face-Reading AI Will Tell Police When Suspects Are Hiding Truth

American psychologist Paul Ekman’s research on facial expressions spawned a whole new career of human lie detectors more than four decades ago. Artificial intelligence could soon take their jobs.

While the U.S. has pioneered the use of automated technologies to reveal the hidden emotions and reactions of suspects, the technique is still nascent and a whole flock of entrepreneurial ventures are working to make it more efficient and less prone to false signals.

Facesoft, a U.K. start-up, says it has built a database of 300 million images of faces, some of which have been created by an AI system modeled on the human brain, The Times reported. The system built by the company can identify emotions like anger, fear and surprise based on micro-expressions which are often invisible to the casual observer.


“If someone smiles insincerely, their mouth may smile, but the smile doesn’t reach their eyes — micro-expressions are more subtle than that and quicker,” co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Allan Ponniah, who’s also a plastic and reconstructive surgeon in London, told the newspaper.

Facesoft has approached police in Mumbai about using the system for monitoring crowds to detect the evolving mob dynamics, Ponniah said. It has also touted its product to police forces in the U.K.


Civil liberty advocates sue blue state over ‘show your papers’ gun law
Retired Austin cop tears into leftist city council for stripping police of key tools before shooting rampage
Trump Says He Canceled 11th-Hour Iran Bombing at Request of Saudi Leaders Amid New Peace Talks
Supreme Court Bluntly Swats Down Virginia Dems’ Power Grab
DHS, War Dept join probe into Singham network allegedly sowing discord in US
New York’s ‘wrong-headed’ defendant-friendly laws helped toss Mangione evidence: retired cop
‘Unelected mayor of DC’: Trump continues Washington makeover despite backlash
Los Angeles School District Pivots Away from Denying Equal Treatment to Student Bible Club
Blue-state tax burden fuels Americans fleeing to Republican-led southern states
Poland seeks answers after Pentagon scraps planned US armored brigade rotation
An unburdened Bill Cassidy doesn’t regret Trump impeachment vote after primary loss
Former Virginia assistant principal on trial after allegedly ignoring warnings before 6-year-old shot teacher
What the Data Actually Says About Abortion and Women’s Health
California’s New Congressional Maps Favoring Dems Could Be Struck Down by the Supreme Court: Report
Oct. 7 Exhibit Sign in London Removed After Police Warn It Could Attract Terrorists

The use of AI algorithms among police has stirred controversy recently. A research group whose members include Facebook Inc., Microsoft Corp., Alphabet Inc., Amazon.com Inc. and Apple Inc published a report in April stating that current algorithms aimed at helping police determine who should be granted bail, parole or probation, and which help judges make sentencing decisions, are potentially biased, opaque, and may not even work.

See also  Faith and government leaders celebrate US as ‘One Nation Under God’ at Rededicate 250

The Partnership on AI found that such systems are already in widespread use in the U.S. and were gaining a foothold in other countries too. It said it opposes any use of these systems.

Story cited here.

Share this article:
Share on Facebook
Facebook
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter