The recent TED conference in Vancouver showcased some big ideas, among them new technology that will eventually be able to assess an individual’s true reaction behind the public face displayed.
The AFP news agency reported on an interview with Dolby Laboratories chief scientist Poppy Crum, who said that sensors combined with artificial intelligence (AI) can reveal whether someone is lying, infatuated, or poised for violence,
“It is the end of the poker face,” Crum said.
“We broadcast our emotions. We will know more about each other than we ever have.”
Crum detailed various physical signs that cannot be fully controlled, including eye dilation, which reveals how hard a brain is working, and heat radiating from the skin signalling stress or even romantic pique.
The amount of carbon dioxide exhaled can signal how angry someone, or a crowd, is becoming, whilst micro-expressions and chemicals in breath can reveal feelings and emotions.
The timing of someone’s speech can expose whether they are at risk of dementia, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, or bipolar disorder, according to neuroscientist Crum, and brainwaves can indicate whether someone’s attention is elsewhere in a room, regardless of the fact their gaze is locked on the person in front of them.
Crum says that technology exists to read such cues and, combined with artificial intelligence can analyse patterns and factor in context, magnifying empathy and creating a bridge over the emotional divide.
The neuroscientist gave examples where the ability to read a person’s true feelings could be useful in a medical, educational, social and enforcement context, but cautioned that forward thinking is necessary to ensure that this sort of technology is used for good rather than evil.
“I am not looking to create a world where our inner lives are ripped open, but I am looking to create a world where we can care about each other more effectively,” she told AFP.
“It is something people need to realize is here and is going to happen; so let’s make it happen in a way we have control over, We will be able to know more about each other than we ever have. Let’s use that for the right reasons rather than the wrong ones.”