A seemingly "Black Mirror" episode where users can identify a person by only looking at them (an implant in the series) may now be possible, as revealed by two Harvard students using Meta Ray-Ban's Smart Glasses. In the fictional dystopian depiction, the characters can see it without using wearable technology, but in the real world, it was proven to be possible using the Instagram-focused accessory.
Harvard Students Say Meta Ray-Ban Smart Glasses Can Dox People
Two students from Harvard University have managed to transform the Instagram-dedicated Meta Ray-Ban Smart Glasses into a wearable device that can publicly identify a person they come across. This new technology gave the Meta Ray-Ban Smart Glasses a new purpose than being an accessory that can take photos, with students AnhPhu Nguyen and Cain Ardayfio sharing their findings.
In their Google document, the pair named this technology the "I-XRAY" and regarded that after successfully integrating the PimEyes program into the Meta smart glasses, it "quickly highlighted privacy concerns."
The students made this 'tool' to find out how this kind of technology can successfully identify a person using face search engines, large-language models, and public databases, otherwise known as 'doxing.'
Are we ready for a world where our data is exposed at a glance? @CaineArdayfio and I offer an answer to protect yourself here:https://t.co/LhxModhDpk pic.twitter.com/Oo35TxBNtD
— AnhPhu Nguyen (@AnhPhuNguyen1) September 30, 2024
PimEyes Plus Meta Ray-Ban Smart Glasses Equals Privacy Nightmare
Through a person's face alone, the students could find the person they came across online, complete with their name, address, and more sensitive information, by integrating the PimEyes face search engine into the Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses.
LLMs widely helped in the project as they are capable of analyzing inputs and quickly searching the internet or its databases from its trainings, and then cross-matching it with platforms like PimEyes, Facecheck.ID, and more.
True AR is Not Yet Here, But Facial Recognition Is
The "true" augmented reality (AR) experience is not yet available to the world, as it is still under development by several companies looking to join this revolution that integrates the digital world into the real one through its lenses. Earlier this year, the US military also expressed their intent to explore the technology by granting Kopin a contract to bring AR display optics that would help soldiers on the field.
While AR for everyday use is ideally helpful, it is perceived by some as a privacy nightmare like what sci-fi movies and series tell the world. AR may offer real-time information by only looking at a person, object, and more.
That said, public identification may bring an issue when applied to AR. The present technology known as facial recognition has been facing significant controversies for keeping private and sensitive information, with the likes of Clearview AI.
However, it seems that the world no longer needs to wait for AR to see significant improvements to get these kinds of experiences, as a study revealed that it is possible with present technology. The Meta Ray-Ban Smart Glasses are not even AR devices and are merely glasses with cameras that can upload directly to Instagram, but have been proven to bring danger to the public possibly.
