Ads to be Tailored by Facial Recognition
by Di (Dina) Lu ~ October 8th, 2012. Filed under: Uncategorized.
In the International Finance Center Mall in Seoul, Korea, shoppers will soon find that advertisements are very much suited to their age and gender. The touch screen information kiosks in the mall contain new facial recognition technology that will scan a face and then show ads that are appropriate for that certain shopper. (Read Wall Street Journal’s article “Big Brother, Now at the Mall” for the full details.)
My first thought after stumbling upon this article was that these facial recognition kiosks were a little intrusive, although innovative. I would not be able to stroll around that mall in Seoul without feeling self-conscious; in fact, there are some concerns about privacy with the facial recognition technology. After a bit more research, I found that this facial recognition technology has already been in use for some time in Japan and the US. For example, the Venetian resort, hotel and casino in Las Vegas uses facial recognition technology to suggest restaurants, clubs and entertainment to people who pass by the displays. The usage in Japan, however, is more commercialized.
Advertisement is catching up as the world becomes more technologically advanced, but how do we judge when it has gone too far?