Intel Launches on-device Facial Recognition

So could most any device recognize us?   Bias considerations depend on usage modes.    

Intel launches RealSense ID for on-device facial recognition   By Kyle Wiggers  @Kyle_L_Wiggers  in VentureBeat,  January 6, 2021 

Intel today launched the newest addition to RealSense, its product range of depth and tracking technologies designed to give machines depth perception capabilities. Called RealSense ID, it’s an on-device solution that combines an active depth sensor with a machine learning model to perform facial authentication.

But numerous studies and VentureBeat’s own analyses of public benchmark data have shown facial recognition algorithms are susceptible to various biases. One issue is that the datasets used to train the algorithms skew white and male. IBM found that 81% of people in the three face-image collections most widely cited in academic studies have lighter-colored skin. Academics have found that photographic technology and techniques can also favor lighter skin, including everything from sepia-tinged film to low-contrast digital cameras. As a result, Amazon, IBM, Microsoft, and others have self-imposed moratoriums on the sale of facial recognition systems.

In response to this and other criticism, Intel says RealSense ID, which starts at $99 and will launch in Q1 2021, has built-in anti-spoofing technology to protect against false entry attempts using photographs, videos, or masks. The company also says it has a “one-in-1-million” false acceptance rate and processes facial images locally, encrypting user data, and is activated through “user awareness.” In other words, it won’t authenticate unless prompted by a preregistered user.

Intel claims RealSense ID adapts to users as physical features like facial hair and glasses change over time and works in various lighting conditions for people “with a wide range of heights or complexions.”... "