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Facial recognition algorithm identifies sexual orientation

Valjean

Veteran Member
Premium Member
I knew there were MRI identifiable brain differences, but photographic determination of sexual orientation raises some worrisome possibilities.
New AI can work out whether you're gay or straight from a photograph
The paper suggested that the findings provide “strong support” for the theory that sexual orientation stems from exposure to certain hormones before birth, meaning people are born gay and being queer is not a choice. The machine’s lower success rate for women also could support the notion that female sexual orientation is more fluid.
In the Stanford study, the authors also noted that artificial intelligence could be used to explore links between facial features and a range of other phenomena, such as political views, psychological conditions or personality.
Opinions?
 

Shadow Wolf

Certified People sTabber
I wonder if the machine is aware that people can go through different phases, have things happen to them, and suddenly they have different political views and personality? It reminds me off all the posts here with members speculating and trying to reason how/why people are Christian, but the reasons they come up with probably don't even cover most.
Overall, I doubt the machine is that accurate.
 

Unveiled Artist

Veteran Member
I knew there were MRI identifiable brain differences, but photographic determination of sexual orientation raises some worrisome possibilities.
New AI can work out whether you're gay or straight from a photograph


Opinions?

This is bothersome because of a couple of things.

1. My first thought is that's like if or did test how people are "black" back then assuming that being African American of a darker pigment meant abnormality of some sort. It sounds creepy to tell you the truth.

2. People are attracted to each other without intentional regards in whether they are male or female. It's just human to be pulled to someone you are mentally and/or physically attracted to. If there were no so such labels as LGBTQS and so forth, would we find a machine to figure out why someone is straight as opposed to gay.

3. On that note, attraction fluctuates all the time. The only way you'll know is by asking the person not studying them as if they are an animal or species of some other sort which is creepy in and of itself.

That's just creepy. It also reminds me of the Jews.

Also, that's odd to refer to African Americans as "people of color." It sounds more of a bias observation rather than just testing anyone straight and gay people's sexual orientation based on their features.

LGBTQS all have sexual orientations which, for sake of discussion, are the same. Why is the person of attraction motivate the study of one group of people as opposed to another; and, how does that study influence and relate to sexual orientation in and of itself?
 

Sanzbir

Well-Known Member
The paper suggested that the findings provide “strong support” for the theory that sexual orientation stems from exposure to certain hormones before birth, meaning people are born gay and being queer is not a choice. The machine’s lower success rate for women also could support the notion that female sexual orientation is more fluid.

Eh. It's a data mining trick. It lacks the key factor of linking the correlation to the causation. In college for a class project in my data mining class I made a program that could predict with 85% accuracy whether or not you would buy a product based on your age demographic, prior purchase of a different product, and one other really random data point that I don't remember specifically.

In the Stanford study, the authors also noted that artificial intelligence could be used to explore links between facial features and a range of other phenomena, such as political views, psychological conditions or personality.

See with political views in there it leads me to think that this correlation is not a causation. For example, having a certain sexual orientation could mean you are more likely to be inside of a specific subculture that would make it more likely to apply different facial cosmetics or shaving habits. Thus the machine's correlation between facial features and sexual orientation could potentially have nothing to do with hormones.

You'd need a study to prove the causal effects, not just a correlation.
 

SabahTheLoner

Master of the Art of Couch Potato Cuddles
That's a little scary, tbh. I sort of wonder why most people would care about such things apart from anti-LGBT reasons. It brings up a lot of questions about science though. I'm curious as to know if it's possible to identify bisexuals, pansexuals, transgender, intersex, asexual, agender and third-gender people as well using the technology. If so, I sure hope that doesn't mean we're all screwed.

On the positive side the article seems to confirm that gayness is not a choice or lifestyle but a genetic factor, which it just about the only good takeaway I've seen.
 

sun rise

The world is on fire
Premium Member
Eh. It's a data mining trick. It lacks the key factor of linking the correlation to the causation. In college for a class project in my data mining class I made a program that could predict with 85% accuracy whether or not you would buy a product based on your age demographic, prior purchase of a different product, and one other really random data point that I don't remember specifically.



See with political views in there it leads me to think that this correlation is not a causation. For example, having a certain sexual orientation could mean you are more likely to be inside of a specific subculture that would make it more likely to apply different facial cosmetics or shaving habits. Thus the machine's correlation between facial features and sexual orientation could potentially have nothing to do with hormones.

You'd need a study to prove the causal effects, not just a correlation.
Interesting and I think accurate.

But to many correlation is a problem because of how it might be abused to discriminate.
 

suncowiam

Well-Known Member
"Strong support" is not the same as "identifies sexual orientation."

It's the same story with the big bang. Evidence provides "strong support" but it is hardly conclusive.

Do you criticize science like your criticize religion?

[Edited] Probably the wrong thread for this. LOL
 

Skwim

Veteran Member

Sanzbir

Well-Known Member
But to many correlation is a problem because of how it might be abused to discriminate.

Sorry, that fear seems ridiculously paranoid to me.

Who would do such a thing?!

The only people I know of who want to discriminate against LGBT people would be the people that would insist it is a choice and would reject the idea of such a correlation to begin with. :D If they can't even accept the fact that being gay isn't a choice, why would they accept the idea there is a computer algorithm that can detect such a thing??
 

sun rise

The world is on fire
Premium Member
Sorry, that fear seems ridiculously paranoid to me.

Who would do such a thing?!

The only people I know of who want to discriminate against LGBT people would be the people that would insist it is a choice and would reject the idea of such a correlation to begin with. :D If they can't even accept the fact that being gay isn't a choice, why would they accept the idea there is a computer algorithm that can detect such a thing??
Because they're looking for a way to discriminate and it would be easier to have a computer pick the ones to be discriminated against. Who would do it? Bigots.
 

Sanzbir

Well-Known Member
Because they're looking for a way to discriminate and it would be easier to have a computer pick the ones to be discriminated against. Who would do it? Bigots.

Who?? Which bigots?? Every bigot I know of who would want to discriminate against the LGBT community would reject the whole premise of this software.

What bigot would use a piece of software which has only 77.5% accuracy that debunks their entire beliefs behind their bigotry to target people??
 

Mister Silver

Faith's Nightmare
Who?? Which bigots?? Every bigot I know of who would want to discriminate against the LGBT community would reject the whole premise of this software.

What bigot would use a piece of software which has only 77.5% accuracy that debunks their entire beliefs behind their bigotry to target people??

Bigots don't think along that line of logic. In fact, their bigotry is unreasonable. Thus, they would use the software precisely for identifying that which they hate if the software even hints at being capable of identifying homosexuals upon facial recognition.
 

Sanzbir

Well-Known Member
Because they're looking for a way to discriminate and it would be easier to have a computer pick the ones to be discriminated against. Who would do it? Bigots.

Actually now that I'm digging into the study, the actual accuracy is worse: "detecting gay males with 57% accuracy and gay females with 58% accuracy" only off of facial features. No bigot will use such a terrible detection method. Don't worry about it.
 
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Sanzbir

Well-Known Member
Bigots don't think along that line of logic. In fact, their bigotry is unreasonable. Thus, they would use the software precisely for identifying that which they hate if the software even hints at being capable of identifying homosexuals upon facial recognition.

I don't think you understand bigots or humans at all then. There's always a logic behind things people do. Sure paradoxes are ignored or stupid axioms made from stupid assumptions but only poorly-written fictional characters are evil for evil's sake.

But hey, if you find just one guy who shows excitement about this invention because now he can target the people he hates, show him to me and I'll concede defeat.

Even if you find the guy, can you explain how that guy would be able to get his hands on this software??

If you can't do both of those things the fear is unfounded.
 

Nous

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
I knew there were MRI identifiable brain differences, but photographic determination of sexual orientation raises some worrisome possibilities.
New AI can work out whether you're gay or straight from a photograph


Opinions?
Bad nonsense. There are not (just) two sexual orientations. Sexual orientation is not binary. Moreover, the fact that a person identifies him/herself as one category of sexual orientation does not mean that s/he is that category. S/he can identify him/herself as another category next year. It isn't at all uncommon.

The article does not say what say which feature(s) the algorithm most often used to guess the sexual orientation of these people, but the article says:

The research found that gay men and women tended to have “gender-atypical” features, expressions and “grooming styles”, essentially meaning gay men appeared more feminine and vice versa.​

Did the study include any lipstick lesbians or bears?
 

Nous

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
This is bothersome because of a couple of things.

1. My first thought is that's like if or did test how people are "black" back then assuming that being African American of a darker pigment meant abnormality of some sort. It sounds creepy to tell you the truth.

2. People are attracted to each other without intentional regards in whether they are male or female. It's just human to be pulled to someone you are mentally and/or physically attracted to. If there were no so such labels as LGBTQS and so forth, would we find a machine to figure out why someone is straight as opposed to gay.

3. On that note, attraction fluctuates all the time. The only way you'll know is by asking the person not studying them as if they are an animal or species of some other sort which is creepy in and of itself.

That's just creepy. It also reminds me of the Jews.

Also, that's odd to refer to African Americans as "people of color." It sounds more of a bias observation rather than just testing anyone straight and gay people's sexual orientation based on their features.

LGBTQS all have sexual orientations which, for sake of discussion, are the same. Why is the person of attraction motivate the study of one group of people as opposed to another; and, how does that study influence and relate to sexual orientation in and of itself?
Good points, Carlita.
 

Mister Silver

Faith's Nightmare
I don't think you understand bigots or humans at all then. There's always a logic behind things people do. Sure paradoxes are ignored or stupid axioms made from stupid assumptions but only poorly-written fictional characters are evil for evil's sake.

Rather, it appears that you do not understand human nature. Yes, there is a logic behind what people do, but bigotry is far from logical due to the emotions of hate that drive it. The logic behind discrimination is a self-rationalized hate for that which the person does not like, and that kind of discrimination is unreasonable.

The fact that it was mentioned in the article itself should be sufficient enough to understand that people could use the software to discriminate.

Rule speculated about AI being used to actively discriminate against people based on a machine’s interpretation of their faces: “We should all be collectively concerned.”
 
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