Taylor, Michelle. “The Art of Facial Recognition.” Forensic Magazine, © Copyright 2017 Advantage Business Media, 13 Mar. 2017, www.forensicmag.com/article/2017/03/art-facial-recognition?cmpid=horizontalcontent.
“The Art of Facial Recognition”, by Michelle Taylor, describes the ways in which the use of Facial Recognition technology is widely misunderstood by the public. She describes how unlike biometric sciences, Facial Recognition is not absolute, falls under no scrutiny in terms of regulations, standards, or restrictions to the science; cannot be used on its own in court to lead to an arrest, and it is unique in that it serves as an intersection between the principles of biometric science and graphic art design. However, despite these disadvantages, the “up and coming” (4th-last paragraph) science still continues to be improved in its efficacy and reliability. Most notably, retired NYPD detective Roger Rodriguez, the designer and builder of the nation’s first “dedicated facial recognition unit” that “triaged lower-quality photos for post-investigation analysis” (paragraph 5), described at length how images from or related to a crime scene that were originally deemed too low quality to be analyzed by facial recognition could instead be given a second chance for use through the application of photo enhancement and other graphic art design tools. These tools can account for the inaccuracies of facial measurement caused by bad lighting, distance, “bad pose”, closed eyes, as well as articles of clothing that block the face by correcting as many of those elements as possible with replacing eyes, changing lighting, etc. and therefore assisting FR technology in accurately measuring the face. However, rapid progress in the science has led to a public misunderstanding of how law enforcement actually uses the Facial Recognition technology due to unrealistically high expectations of its efficacy and accuracy that was generated by misrepresentation of the field.
If facial recognition becomes more widely known as a relevant and successful science to aid law enforcement, the applications of this technology in other sciences will increase. For example, cell-phone companies will utilize such technology as a security measure to protect people’s phones from being unlocked by others. In fact, this already posed an issue when Android attempted to do this because people were able to unlock the phone using pictures of people’s faces as well as masks to fool the FR software. This likely happened because members of Android did not realize how much extra manipulation of the image was needed to validate the FR software results in law enforcement, and this caused an unrealistically high expectation of and reliance on the FR software itself. This is an example of how a public disconnect from law enforcement regarding the perception of a field of science can actually pose risks to people’s lives outside the field of forensics. Therefore, it is important for law-enforcement and the public to be on the same page about any science that may be used outside of forensics. Additionally, the merging of biometric science and graphic art design shows how fields like forensics also help people and society by expanding the marketplace for different skills.
While the use of dialogue from the chief designer of this software was instrumental in increasing the article’s credibility, the key flaw in its overall ethos is other perspectives. For example, after the science itself was described in great detail, the concluding paragraphs describe how there is a public disconnect with law enforcement on the expectations, efficacy and on the applications of Facial Recognition technology due to what Rodriguez described as “misunderstanding” and “misinformation” about the science (Taylor 2nd to last paragraph). Rodriguez goes on to state that, “There needs to be a push for education in the field,” (last paragraph). In this portion of the text, Rodriguez’s take on the situation is not sufficient to aid in the reader’s understanding of the issue. This is an example of where quotes from the supposedly “uneducated” public would have helped to clarify exactly where the expectation and/or understanding of Facial Recognition differed in the public sphere from the understanding of law enforcement agencies. Although she proved to understand the actual science with extensive explanation in how it is applied, the fields used in the science and how the science itself works; simply writing the article from the viewpoint of Rodriguez does not support that Michelle Taylor understands the context or controversy surrounding the subject matter.
7 comments:
Hayley Berry
Mr. Ippolito
October 1, 2017
Current Event #3 Comment
"The Art of Facial Recognition" CE 2 Andrew Goldbaum
Taylor, Michelle. “The Art of Facial Recognition.” Forensic Magazine, © Copyright 2017 Advantage Business Media, 13 Mar. 2017, www.forensicmag.com/article/2017/03/art-facial-recognition?cmpid=horizontalcontent.
While reading the review of the article, “The Art of Facial Recognition”, Andrew did a fantastic job at really submerging the reader into the article. He used textual evidence to help him back up the claims he was making about the article. This inflicted confidence in what he was writing and made his claims true. The first paragraph was a great summary of the article and he was able to do this by only taking out the truly important information and giving that to us. Another thing I thought Andrew did very well on was the transitions he gave the evidence and his claims. He did a wonderful job on summarizing the article, giving only the important pieces of evidence, and supporting his claims with a textual representation.
This review was overall greatly supported by evidence and claims that he made but there were only a few things that I would change to make the review better. I thought that there could have been other sources that he brought into the review. He could have compared other people opinions to those of Michelle Taylor. Another thing that I would have changed was giving more of a definition of Facial Recognition. In the beginning, he went right to the point, which was great, but there could have been a pause to give the definition of it first and then go into detail about the article. These are the only two things I would change because the rest of the review was written very nicely.
I always thought that Facial Recognition could be used in court to lead to an arrest but I learned that you can’t. Watching crime TV shows you would get the idea that you could use this technology during the court to make your case better but now I know you can’t. This was a new piece of information I learned from this article review.
Taylor, Michelle. “The Art of Facial Recognition.” Forensic Magazine, © Copyright 2017
Advantage Business Media, 13 Mar. 2017. www.forensicmag.com/article/2017/03/art-facial-recognition?cmpid=horizontalcontent.
Andrew wrote an excellent response to the article “The Art of Facial Recognition” by Michelle Taylor. He begins with a detailed and informative summary that provides the reader with all of the necessary information. Andrew is able to effectively and efficiently describe how Facial Recognition is understood by the general public before delving into how retired detective Roger Rodriguez designed the nation’s first dedicated facial recognition unit and Rodriguez’s explanation of the recent developments in Facial Recognition sciences. Andrew also did a great job of using an example of the public’s unrealistically high expectations of Facial Recognition technology. He describes how cell-phone companies use the science as a security measure, but that Android users were able to unlock phones using photographs of the phone’s owner or masks. Overall, his current event report was also extremely well-written. His writing flowed well between sentences and topics which made the piece more enjoyable to read because there were no misunderstanding based on writing mistakes.
Although Andrew wrote a well-written and thorough current event report, there are two places that he could improve upon. I think that he could have included more information on what exactly Facial Recognition science is and how it helps scientists and detectives in their investigations. These details would have provided the reader with a more well-rounded understanding of the issue. I also think that Andrew could have addressed some areas that Taylor did well in her article because Andrew has a great critique of the flaws in the article but doesn’t really compliment her writing.
After reading Andrew’s response to Taylor’s article , I have learned about an important biometric science that is improving rapidly even though it’s efficacy and accuracy are not fully understood by the public. I now have a deeper understanding of this field of forensics and what it is capable of at this point in time. I will definitely stay updated on any new breakthroughs in Facial Recognition sciences and how it will continue to aid law enforcement.
Catherine Faville
Forensics
Current event
For this current assignment i read a analysis of the article “The Art of facial recognition” written by Michelle Taylor, in this analysis my fellow classmate Andrew summarized the article and its contents. He described how facial recognition is not absolute and how it has no actual security or restrictions to it, however when the NYPD uses it to find criminals it is very useful and beneficial. Especially after Roger Rodriguez designed the nation's first dedicated facial recognition unit, in this unit they would be able to fix bad quality photos, such as poor lighting or blurriness. With this they would be able to identify people were without this new unit they would not be able to do so. This new type of technology is even being taken in by phone companies, in order to secure from others using it, causing a frenzy of people trying to acquire it.
This article sparked a interest with me because it is two sides to a new and well known form of technology, it was interesting for me to read about how the police force use something that i could possibly use on my cell phone.
However Andrew’s analysis has room for improvement, he could have added some details as to why this technology could have some flaws with it, instead of just talking about the good points of it. Also there were numerous spelling and grammatical mistakes that could have been fixed in order to hold the reader's attention on the topic, rather than losing focus on silly mistakes. He should have also added more to the science behind it, in order to really get the reader's attention and a better understanding at exactly what this new technology entails. Also if he compared and contrasted the differences with the use of facial recognition in the police force and everyday life, it would have allowed the topic to be more interesting to read about.
The analysis was really well written, this made the reader want to read the article and learn more about the topic, it was interesting to learn more about something that i barely knew about. It was also interesting in terms of learning about the science behind it, and how misinterpreted it is through the public's eye, learning about how the police like the NYPD can use something like this and gather information is mind opening. The article was captivating to read, it allowed me to learn about something that i will be seeing soon in everyday life, it's like getting a new knowledge of a new futuristic technology.
Justin McCarthy
Mr. Ippolito
Forensics 12H
Current Event 3: Reviewing Andrew Goldbaum
Due October 3rd 2017
Taylor , Michelle. “The Art of Facial Recognition.” Forensic Magazine, 20 Mar. 2017, www.forensicmag.com/article/2017/03/art-facial-recognition?cmpid=horizontalcontent. https://www.forensicmag.com/article/2017/03/art-facial-recognition?cmpid=horizontalcontent
Upon reading Andrew Goldbaum’s account on Michelle Taylor’s “The Art of Facial Recognition”, it is safe to say that I feel that the facial recognition might be the next milestone in Forensic Science. I thought Andrew did a very good job at the way he summarized the article as well as introducing and citing evidence which connects to his main theme that because we are entering a new age of technology. There were three things that I thought Andrew did really well on. The first factor that I thought you did a good job at was the way you introduced the concept of Biometric Science as if the principles were “up and coming” (Taylor) almost as if you were implying that technology itself was a work in progress. A second factor that I also thought you did a great job at was to prove your point that while facial recognition is still progressing, there is evidence from first eyewitnesses that the system is effective. I really like how you introduced and cited former NYPD officer Roger Rodriguez account on facial recognition if the images were “triaged lower-quality photos for post-investigation analysis” (Taylor) I liked how you implied that while the pictures are still a work in process, the concept itself is optimistic for the future down the line. A third factor that I also really enjoyed about your article was the way you introduced the principles that a scene has to be perfect because if there is a “bad pose” (Taylor) regarding the facial recognition process, the system itself can deemed to be compromised because the low quality images will not be enough evidence to issue a warrant for a suspect in a criminal case.
Two things that I think Andrew could improve on for his next current was that one he possibly could have used more pieces of evidence to show that Facial Recognition while effective is still a work in process. I think you could have possibly introduced Taylor's concept that regards that “arrest can never be made based upon facial recognition” (Taylor) which implies that because facial recognition is not the futuristic, the system itself still has flaws that needs to be worked on. Another issue that could easily fix for your next current event is simply using a real life event which can be vital for readers to understand how complex recongigation can be at times which she uses “9/11” (Taylor) as example to highlight how much work has to be put in to solve a crime. I believe by using this you can use an event which affected us all in our life, this way we all understand how critical a task is to identifying a body based on digital images in a tragic event.
Overall from reading your review, I must say that I am very impressed with your writing. It almost felt as if I was reading an actual professional report- not many have the skill that you have. Ultimately, I chose this article because I am a very big fan and I believe Forensic facial recognition is a very interesting topic because it could be vital for our country in the future because it is the future when it comes to identifying suspects in criminal cases. However the biggest thing I took away from Andrew’s work, is that this article has made me reflect and consider if being overly dependent on facial recognition to solve crimes at this stage is a good thing because while technology is good to have, it has proven to be long ways to go before facial recognition is the blueprint to solving a crime case in the future.
Kelsey Ravesloot
Taylor, Michelle. “The Art of Facial Recognition.” Forensic Magazine, © Copyright 2017 Advantage Business Media, 13 Mar. 2017, www.forensicmag.com/article/2017/03/art-facial-recognition?cmpid=horizontalcontent.
I think Andrew’s review on the “the art of facial recognition” was actually very interesting to read. One thing I thought Andrew did well was his analysis and background about the article. Another thing that he did well was his critique on the article, especially how the article’s viewpoint did not quite reach the understandings of Taylor. Lastly, I enjoyed how Andrew included citations in his review (not only for the link) so it easy to find the information in the article.
One thing I think that would make Andrew’s review better is including more quotes from the article to bring more information and viewpoints into the review. Another thing that would have made the review even better was including more down sides and cons to the technology, not only the pros.
I thought this review was very interesting and well written. I think it was cool to learn about this new technology that could expand greatly to where it would be apart of our daily lives.
Máiréad Cain
Mr. Ippolito
Forensics
10 October 2017
Taylor, Michelle. “The Art of Facial Recognition.” Forensic Magazine, © Copyright 2017 Advantage Business Media, 13 Mar. 2017. www.forensicmag.com/article/2017/03/art-facial-recognition?cmpid=horizontalcontent
Andrew did a very nice job with his current event review on the article “The Art of Facial Recognition,” by Michelle Taylor. I decided to review his report as the usage of facial recognition has exponentially increased with the creation and manufacturing of certain devices. I was curious to see how, exactly, Facial Recognition works and what purposes it serves in the field of Forensic Science. There are many good techniques Andrew utilises throughout his report. One example is how he explains the fact that facial recognition is not necessarily valid evidence to use in the court system. Any evidence gathered through facial recognition is usually not definite and therefore cannot be used as established evidence in criminal courts.. Another aspect of Andrew’s writing that was done rather well was when he included several different quotes into his current event report. This gave readers an insight on the topic at hand. Lastly, I appreciated how Andrew went into thorough detail when critiquing the flaws of his chosen current event. He is quite specific when explaining the different weaknesses that arise from some of the sources contributing to the article.
Overall, Andrew’s report was extremely interesting and informative, however there are some details that he could tweak and add to make the current event review even that much better.
I recommend that he adds different viewpoints concerning the topic at hand. This would have provided readers with a thorough understanding of the debate that currently affects the use of facial recognition in most criminal courts. Also, he could have discussed what facial recognition, if eventually refined and perfected, could do to the future of forensic science. It would have been interesting to further understand the benefits that would come from a completely perfected facial recognition system.
Andrew’s report was very informative. I learned extensively about facial recognition and how it is currently affecting the future of forensic science. Before reading the report, I had little knowledge how the validity of facial recognition is being questioned by many forensic science experts. Countless people across the world could soon be affected by facial recognition, and after reading Andrew’s report, I see now how important it is to make sure that any flaws in facial recognition systems are quickly fixed.
I thought Andy did a good job of laying out all the ways in which facial recognition technology is misunderstood and all the things it can or can’t do. The popularity of crime shows has given people a lot of misconceptions regarding forensic procedures, so anyone reading this article or review probably doesn’t actually know how this technology works. I also thought that it was good to include a real life example of the uses and flaws of this technology, like he did when he talked about Android attempting to use facial recognition as a way to unlock a phone. It makes it seem a lot less like something out of a sci-fi show and more like something relevant to the average person. I thought Andy’s critique was also very insightful, especially how he pointed out how the author seemed not to fully understand the existence of the controversial nature of this topic. Overall I thought this review was really well-written.
Something that bothered me in the article was the in-text citations, since it’s not necessary to cite the actual page or paragraph where a quote came from. Perhaps it would be fitting in a research paper the references a whole book, or in an academic thesis, but in a current event it feels out of place.
Something that surprised me was that Android had tried to use facial recognition software for protecting phones in the past. I guess I can see why they would, but I hadn’t known about it before. I think making phones too hard to get into is actually less safe, because if a friend needs to use your phone in an emergency they can’t fake your face or fingerprint or anything like that. I think that it’s much better to have something like a password, so that a person you trust can also access your phone if they ever have to. You can always change it if you find you can no longer trust that person.
Post a Comment