Two harvard Students AnhPhu Nguyen and Caine Ardayfio have demonstrated a disturbing application of smart glasses and facial recognition technology in their project called I-XRAY. This demonstration highlights how the widely available Ray-Ban Goal Smart glasses can stream live videos to Instagram and, together with artificial intelligence, identify people in real time.
A computer program processes the live stream, analyzes facial features and compares them with public databases to retrieve personal information such as names, addresses, phone numbers and even family details. The students demonstrated this disturbing ability by identifying their classmates and conversing with strangers on public transportation as if they were family, taking advantage of the data obtained through this technology.
The I-XRAY system combines existing technologies, notably the use of PimEyes, a face search engine known for its accuracy. This project raises critical privacy concerns, especially since companies like Clearview AI have employed similar facial recognition technologies to assist law enforcement. However, Nguyen and Ardayfio’s innovation lies in integrating this technology into a consumer product that appears to fly under the radar, making it easier for people to record and analyze it without being detected.
In their project documentation, the students emphasize that their intention is not to promote misuse but to raise awareness about the capabilities of current technology, suggesting that such advanced applications are already feasible. They note that the use of large language models (LLM) makes the system more efficient, automatically linking names and images from large groups of data.
The rise of smart glasses has revived concerns about privacy, reminiscent of the backlash faced by Google Glass, which failed in part due to fears of being recorded without consent. In recent years, society has become more accustomed to being filmed due to the prevalence of smartphones and social media platforms like TikTok. However, the discreet design of the Ray-Ban Meta glasses complicates the situation, as they look like normal sunglasses and can easily go unnoticed.
While these glasses include a privacy light that activates when recording, it can be difficult to detect in bright conditions, making it difficult for audiences to realize when they are being filmed. Despite Meta’s encouragement of responsible use and respect for personal boundaries, the reality is that many may ignore these guidelines.
To mitigate the risks, Nguyen and Ardayfio suggest methods for people to protect their privacy, including opting out of people search databases. However, they recognize the difficulty of completely erasing one’s online presence, as it is almost impossible to remove all traces of personal information from the Internet.
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