Expect a facial recognition app on your phone this year

New York

CHANCES are, you are already familiar with facial recognition software, even if you have never spent time in an artificial intelligence (AI) laboratory. The algorithm that Facebook uses for tagging photos, for example, is a version of facial recognition software that can identify faces with 97.3 per cent accuracy.

The problem with most of today's facial recognition software, however, is that it is computationally very intensive and difficult to use for more than just matching simple photos. If you could speed up the process of recognising faces, add the ability to track facial features and make it so easy that it could be used as a smartphone app by anyone - then it might open up important new opportunities.