Lip Reading Machines
"Researchers at the University of East Anglia are working to develop computerized lip-reading systems. Lip-reading is extremely hard for humans to master, but a software-based system has several benefits over even the most highly trained expert. The ultimate goal of the project is to convert lip-read speech into text. 'Apart from being extremely helpful to hearing-disabled individuals, researchers say that such a system could be used to noiselessly dictate commands to electronic devices equipped with a simple camera - like mobile phones, microwaves or even a car's dashboard. England's Home Office Scientific Development Branch ... is currently investigating the feasibility of using lip-reading software as an additional tool for gathering information about criminals or for collecting evidence.'"
After automatic "recogniiton" of numberplates, automatic "recognition" of faces and the automatic "recognition" of "brand marks" - will the automatic "recognition" of lip-reading be the next thing ...
What we don't get told very often is the success rate of programmes like these - and of course - the failure rate ..
If my "lip reading computer" has a 0.001 chance of mis-reading somebody's lips - and its is then let loose on 50,000,000 people what are the chances of it getting it wrong?
Will the "evidence" from "lip reading computers" ever stand up in court?
Tags: software engineering, false positives, false negatives, computerised surveillance, 1984, endemic surveillance society