Harvard University‘s AnhPhu Nguyen and Caine Ardayfio carried out a notable experiment to highlight potential dangers of technology. By integrating I-XRAY technology with Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses, they utilized the glasses’ live streaming feature on Instagram to recognize people’s faces and match this information with names, addresses, and phone numbers from public databases. The personal information obtained is then transmitted to users via a mobile application.
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
During the demonstration of this technology, it was observed that the students could recognize strangers both in the classroom and in public places like public transport. The high accuracy and accessibility of facial recognition technology highlight the potential for serious privacy issues if I-XRAY falls into the wrong hands. Furthermore, the increasing use of face search engines like PimEyes further elevates the risk of misuse of such technologies.
The Goal is to Highlight Possible Dangers of Existing Technologies
Nguyen and Ardayfio state that they will not use their project for malicious purposes and will not share it with the public. Their primary goal is to draw attention to the potential dangers that current technologies pose to individuals. They also remind individuals of the need to take necessary precautions to protect their digital footprints. However, they add that completely eliminating digital information is nearly impossible.