Date: Wednesday, 13.11.2024 15:20-17:00 CET
Location: Building S1|15 Room 133
Abstract:
Recent technological advances and related societal issues have led to a surge of attention towards the concept of “face recognition”. I argue that the most important facet of face recognition — identity processing — is not a solved problem. On the contrary, it is a typically underestimated, highly complex skill that our brains have developed to efficiently master. Moreover, generative AI and the ability to create synthetic identities at scale have given rise to entirely novel questions in this field of research. Using examples of ongoing work in my group, I argue that studying face identity processing can do more than advance our understanding of human cognition and its neural basis. It can support the development of human-machine interactions, and facilitate an inter-stakeholder exchange necessary to maintain trust in institutions, and enable innovative research opportunities. Synthetic identities in particular can play a major role in enhancing trust, privacy and fairness across a range of applications.
