Facial recognition technology is nothing new — there are probably apps on your phone right now with the ability to recognize faces, but you have some modicum of control over that. Clearview AI, on the other hand, aims to build a facial recognition database that includes you. Yes, you. But not only you. Clearview wants its database to include every human being on Earth, and it thinks it can get there by siphoning up 100 billion photos from the internet. And all it wants is a few million more dollars in venture capital.
Clearview was founded in 2017 but operated in stealth mode until the end of 2019. That allowed the company to begin harvesting data to fuel its algorithms before it faced serious opposition. But AI is only as good as the data you feed it, and Clearview’s algorithm is hungry. The Washington Post reports that Clearview gave a presentation to potential investors in December where it explained its goal of reaching 100 billion photos. That, the company says, will ensure its system can recognize essentially every single one of the 7.9 billion people on Earth.
Clearview AI made this pitch because it needs cash to make it all happen, and not as much as you might expect — it only needs another $50 million. There are plenty of investors who could find that in their couch cushions. The company told investors that it already has 10 billion images, and it is currently adding 1.5 billion more every month. And more funding means more data, and that means a more powerful facial recognition engine. That money will also help Clearview lobby the government for “favorable regulation,” according to the report.
The Clearview AI website only mentions its government work, but it reportedly wants to start offering services to businesses.
So, where is Clearview getting all these photos? From us — we’re giving them away. Clearview scrapes images from all around the internet, something that other firms have tried to stop. Google, Facebook, Twitter, and others have told Clearview to stop, but it maintains the data collection is protected by the First Amendment. If you’re thinking, “I should delete those photos I uploaded on X,” it’s probably already too late.
In 2022, Clearview’s patented facial recognition platform is in use by law enforcement agencies around the country, and several technology firms have reportedly expressed low-key interest. Clearview doesn’t currently offer services to non-governmental entities, but that could change. In the presentation, Clearview said it wants to expand beyond government contracts and pitched some very “Black Mirror” ideas, like monitoring the movement of gig workers and identifying people by scanning their fingerprints from a distance.
Clearview might have an uphill battle ahead, but the technology that enables it won’t vanish as long as it’s useful. If Clearview can’t get $50 million to scan your fingerprints from across the room, someone else will surely do it.
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