Numerous Advertisers Start Using Facial Recognition In Public Locations
Once the stuff of science fiction and high-tech crime fighting, facial recognition technology has become one of the newest tools in marketing, even though privacy concerns abound. The Venetian resort, hotel and casino in Las Vegas has started using it on digital displays to tailor suggestions for restaurants, clubs and entertainment to passersby. Kraft Foods Inc. and Adidas say they are planning to experiment with it as early as this year to push their products. A group of U.S. bar owners in Chicago last month started using facial recognition, in conjunction with mounted cameras, to keep tabs on the male/female ratio and age mixes of their crowds. Patrons planning a night out can use mobile apps to get a real-time check of a venue’s vibe.
he commercial applications of facial recognition are in contrast to those being used by law enforcement to identify specific individuals. Companies, at least at this point, mostly just want to pinpoint a demographic based on age and gender to tailor their ads. But even this facial recognition-lite alarms privacy advocates, given that it could greatly popularize and expand use of the technology. Intel Corp., which makes such software, said it’s widely adaptable. “You can put this technology into kiosks, vending machines, digital signs,” said Christopher O’Malley, director of retail marketing for Intel’s embedded and communications group. “It’s going to become a much more common thing in the next few years.”
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