The benefits of facial recognition technology and its cons are controversial issues. Many stakeholders are pointing out the pros, but there are also detractors voicing its disadvantages.
There are many concerns around face recognition technology, such as invasion of privacy, abuse of power, what rogue elements within government agencies could do with it, and more.
Already, the heated debate around facial recognition has caused some public relations backlashes. As a result, investors could stay clear of the technology, inhibiting its development.
Still, many stakeholders point out that with regulation, facial recognition has excellent potential.
Some of the benefits of facial recognition technology are Better security, improved retail shopping and banking, and more.
In this post, we will talk about the 6 benefits of facial recognition technology.
Also, if you are looking to read about the disadvantages, check out our post: 6 Disadvantages of facial recognition you need to be aware of.
Here is the table of contents. Feel free to jump to any section that interests you:
What Is Facial Recognition Technology?
Facial recognition is a biometric software application capable of uniquely identifying or verifying a person by comparing and analyzing patterns based on the person’s facial contours. The technology is mostly used for security purposes, though there is increasing interest in other areas of use. Facial recognition technology has received significant attention as it has the potential for a wide range of application related to law enforcement as well as other enterprises.
Techopedia
Humans recognize others by looking at their faces, not by fingerprint or iris scan. As a result, facial recognition technology is less invasive and more natural to integrate into our daily lives and processes.
Recent advances in Artificial Intelligence have allowed tech companies to offer new face recognition online services. Furthermore, companies such as Microsoft, Amazon and new players like Kairos, Betaface, and BioID are leading the effort. As a result, many new startups can now bring to market applications with face recognition.
Would you like to know more about face recognition online? Check out our post about 7 Face Recognition Online Tools Ready to Use with your Apps and Products.
Also, check out our blog post about What is Face Detection Technology?
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The Advantages of Face Recognition Technology
1. – Improved Public Security
On possible benefits of face recognition technology, law enforcement is one of the most mentioned areas. Also, it is where it spurs the most controversy and heated debate.
According to an NBC report, the technology proliferates among law enforcement agencies in the United States. Cities like Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and many state and local law enforcement agencies use the technology.
Also, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is vowing to check 97% of international passengers by 2023 with face recognition. CBP aims to verify the departure of non-immigrant visa holders, as this CBP report confirms. Currently, CBP has a system that checks boarding airline passenger listings. However, it lacks biometric verification.
Those in favor of the technology cite the following benefits of face recognition:
- Face recognition makes it easier to track down burglars, thieves and trespassers. The technology can analyze the feed private and public CCTV camera networks.
- The technology is not limited to tracking down criminals. For instance, it could also make finding missing children and seniors easier.
- Face recognition could make security checkpoints at airports less intrusive to passengers.
Public outrage over unjustified stops and searches is a source of constant hassle and controversy for the police — yet another area where face recognition technology may have advantages. Therefore, Face recognition technology could help decrease stops and searches on law-abiding citizens by singling out suspects among crowds.
Also, the sole knowledge of the presence of a face recognition system serves as a deterrence, especially to petty crime.
2. – Fast and Non-Invasive Identity Verification
Another of the benefits of face recognition technology is its fast processing nature and that it doesn’t need any contact with users. With current identity verification methods, users must remember passwords, present I.D. cards, and other inconveniences.
With Face recognition technology, companies can control facility access without long lines. Someday, systems can verify identities without stopping anyone for a check.
Applications are not limited to physical security but encompass cybersecurity as well. Companies can use face recognition technology as a substitute for passwords to access computers.
For instance, newer iPhones allow unlocking with face recognition. Also, in our list of 10 free face recognition apps for Android to boost your business, we show several Android apps for face unlocking your phone.
Besides, face recognition is hard to fool, as it can detect attempts to use static photos or other identity theft methods.
3. – Benefits of Facial Recognition in Banking
Despite many security measures financial institutions take worldwide, banking fraud is still a recurring problem. Face recognition online banking could help solve it.
While Banks have become sophisticated at using one-time passwords to access accounts or authorize transfers, there is still room for improvement. One possible solution is biometric identification via facial recognition technology.
Instead of those pesky one-time passwords, you could authorize transactions by looking at your smartphone or computer. Biometric online banking is another of the benefits of face recognition.
With face recognition, there are no passwords that hackers could compromise. Even if hackers stole your photo database, it would be of little use, as “liveness detection” prevents using them for impersonation.
The benefits go beyond online; physical bank branches and ATMs can also use the technology. Thanks to it, using debit cards and signatures may soon be a thing of the past.
Check out our Face Recognition Online Banking Guide For Business Leaders for more information on how banks have adopted this technology.
4. – Benefits of Facial Recognition in Retail
While an ever-increasing number of customers are shopping online, an important part still goes to physical stores.
In our post about Why You Need to Focus on Mobile Commerce (Plus an [Infographic]), we presented some interesting insights. For example, while foot traffic has declined, the value of each visit has tripled. A possible explanation is that customers plan their purchases on the web and finish them in the store. Also, searches for “near me” have doubled.
A benefit of facial recognition in retail is that it could make the shopping experience faster and more convenient.
Some of these benefits of facial recognition in retail are:
- Shorter Lines: Forget long checkout lines with slow payments; new “face pay” technologies can shorten them.
- Loss prevention: Shoplifting is a notable problem for retailers. Now, imagine that retailers could identify subjects of interest when entering stores. The technology still has some way to prevent misidentifications and biases, but the potential exists.
- Increase customer loyalty: Imagine if when entering your store, a kiosk recognizes customers, points them in the right direction, or makes suggestions based on their history. More efficient and personalized experiences foster comebacks and repeat purchases.
5. – Better Worker Attendance Systems
Industrial floors and smart factories worldwide are plagued by time fraud, which is still one of the most common work ethics violations. The vast majority of workers are honest. Even so, there is a minority that engages in buddy favors from staff members or security personnel to skip work (and still get paid).
Time fraud is not only detrimental to companies but also to honest contributing workers.
Another benefit of face recognition technology is that it could end time fraud, improving Human Capital Management in organizations, here’s how:
- Everyone has to pass face-scanning devices to check in for work. Paid hours begin from this moment until checkout (Also with facial recognition).
- The process is fast; employees don’t have to prove their identities or clock in with plastic cards.
Another aspect in which organizations are employing face recognition is workplace safety.
Check out our post about 10 free face recognition apps for Android to boost your business for more information on how this tech can improve attendance systems.
6. – Face Recognition Furthers Enables Computer Vision
Face Recognition research may one day allow computers to see and recognize objects and people similarly to humans. As a result, there will be new possibilities for interactions.
Computer vision development is critical to make technologies like self-driving cars viable. In the future, we can expect research in computer vision and face recognition to gather more interest and breakthroughs to continue.
Consider the Benefits of Face Recognition to Your Business
In this post, we have described many benefits of face recognition technology. From biometric identification, improved security, convenient banking and shopping, face recognition is set to bring many new advantages.
There are also disadvantages that many critics are pointing out. Check out our post about the 6 Disadvantages of facial recognition you need to be aware of.
We invite you to take action now and begin discussing with your business and industry peers the benefits and disadvantages of face recognition technology.
Would you like to know more about what tech companies are offering to help integrate face recognition into new apps and businesses? Check out our post about 7 Face Recognition Online Tools Ready to Use with your Apps and Products.
Have you considered the benefits of face recognition technology? Leave a comment and share your thoughts and experiences.
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Reference
Sightcorp. Why Facial Recognition Is Important For Banking Services.
Richard Revis. The Many Faces Of Today’s Facial Recognition Technology.
Upwork Hiring Headquarters. Pros and Cons of Facial Recognition Technology For Your Business.