Fast Company Mind-reading technology is closer than you think

From: Fast Company Compass - Thursday Aug 15, 2019 09:49 pm

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More and more companies are claiming to be able to “detect emotion” by analyzing large databases of people making different facial expressions. One of the largest purveyors of this claim? Amazon, which announced earlier this week that it had added fear to its emotion detection software. But scientists doubt that facial expressions are a reliable proxy for someone’s internal emotional state and say that even sophisticated algorithms may be misguided in using facial expressions to “read out” the emotion a person is expressing. Given Amazon’s relationships with law enforcement and ICE, civil rights activists have found the companies’ new claims to detect fear alarming: “Now Amazon is setting us on a path where armed government agents could make split second judgements based on a flawed algorithm’s cold testimony,“ says Evan Greer of Fight for the Future. Read more here.

Amazon's algorithm is reading a new emotion on faces: fear

But emotion detection tech in general is still flawed: On top of accuracy and bias problems, scientists doubt that facial expressions are really a reliable indicator of emotions.

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Mind-reading technology is closer than you think

Companies and governments are getting closer to mind-reading technology, and right now, no laws prevent the NSA from spying on our brains or from companies collecting brain data and selling the information to third parties.

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How Melbourne revolutionized how cities can switch to renewable power

Sick of waiting for broader policy to change, the Australian city helped finance a massive wind farm by making a commitment to 10 years of renewable purchases. The city’s manager of urban sustainability explains how your city can do it, too.

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Clip this tiny gadget to your backpack, and get real-time reports of the air quality around you

Government air quality measurements only come from a few locations. Now you can find out how clean the air is on your block, on your commute, or even in your house. You might be surprised by what you find.

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How Shake Shack’s director of brand communications got her job

Kristyn Clark shares how her sister shaped her career, her experience getting into a new industry, and her best advice for someone going into PR.

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Exclusive: See 300 items Target is rereleasing from its designer collaborations

Remember that Lilly Pulitzer or Rodarte dress you missed out on at Target? Or the Michael Graves vase? You might get to snag it this time around.

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See a gorgeous shipping container house, with Nendo furniture

Designed by Brazilian architect Marilia Pellegrini, the 194-square-foot minimalist home was inspired by the famous Japanese designer Kenya Hara.

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5 times when using paper and a pen is better than using an app

Sometimes tech can be a lifesaver, but in certain cases, opting for an analog option is the more productive choice.

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Beautycon evolves beyond makeup

How CEO Moj Mahdara creates a festival that transcends free makeup samples with performances and high-profile conversations about financial literacy and women in business.

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This newsletter was written by Katharine Schwab.

The longer format of Compass is taking a vacation this month. Please enjoy our more compact newsletter. We’ll be back to the normal format in September.

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Fast Company Mind-reading technology is closer than you think