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Two Harvard students, AnhPhu Nguyen and Caine Ardayfio, have built a pair of smart glasses with facial recognition capabilities, a project showcasing the risks of advanced surveillance technology. The glasses, named I-Xray, go beyond facial identification; they pull personal data from the web, including home addresses, phone numbers, and information about family members, raising alarm bells about privacy and security.
Using Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses as a foundation, the two creators demonstrated their experiment in a video that tested the technology on unsuspecting individuals in public spaces, including subways.
While the students emphasised that their project aims to raise awareness, the demonstration revealed the thin boundary between anonymity and a future where personal data can be accessed instantly by strangers.
The technology behind I-Xray functions by scanning faces and matching them against a facial recognition service called Pimeyes. This service searches the web for images associated with the face. The results are then scrapped for additional information, including social media profiles and other personal details.
While one subject’s surname was beeped out, 404 Media revealed that it was still possible to identify them using the information provided.
The system provided extensive data about Ardayfio during a live demonstration, including his school history and a published essay.
Despite not releasing the code, the project highlights the potential dangers of publicly accessible technologies. It shows how off-the-shelf products and facial recognition services can be combined to build devices capable of doxxing strangers — exposing their identities, locations, and contact details without consent.
“We wanted to show what is possible and raise awareness,” Nguyen explained. While the students removed sensitive data like home addresses in their tests, they acknowledged the risks. “This technology could easily be used for stalking,” Nguyen added.
The glasses’ facial recognition and information-gathering capabilities have sparked reactions from those who encountered them, with one test subject expressing shock upon realising the system had access to their family’s phone numbers. The project’s viral demo has drawn comparisons to controversial technologies like Clearview AI, which also faced backlash for its facial recognition tools.
Tech giants like Google and Facebook have avoided releasing similar products to the public due to the ethical and legal concerns they pose. Google’s former chairman, Eric Schmidt, confirmed that the company shelved its facial recognition technology over a decade ago, describing it as the only technology they decided not to pursue after considering the risks.
Even though Pimeyes claims it does not directly identify individuals, its ability to match faces with websites containing personal images makes it an ideal tool for those seeking to unmask others.
This technology has already been used for both legitimate purposes, such as identifying rioters, and more troubling ones, like stalking.
I-Xray has reignited debate about privacy in an era of increasing surveillance. While Nguyen and Ardayfio’s project was intended to provoke thought, the implications of its capabilities cannot be ignored.
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