Baidu tests facial recognition search engine

Chinese search engine, Baidu is testing a new facial recognition search engine system, TNW reports.

This new service works by allowing users to upload an image, which the service then searches for a face and returns visual matches online. According to the TNW report, Baidu operates a custom version of its search engine, powered by technology from the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Computing Technology facial recognition tech, to find missing people in China.

The new service, located at shitu.baidu.com, can easily match celebrity photos, though as the TNW report reveals, the service breaks down when trying to match photos of any non-celebrities.

Baidu is a significant player in the online search space, as it claims a dominant position in the Chinese market, and brought in nearly $1 billion in revenue last year, claiming over $500 million in profit.

Facial recognition is a rapidly growing biometric technology, and Baidu isn’t the first to toe-dip in the space. As reported previously in BiometricUpdate.com, two popular online porn websites are offering free facial recognition services to their users looking to find look-alikes or similar-looking performers online. Additionally, Apple recently filed a patent for a new facial recognition system using a new system involving “face prints” to establish identity.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  facial recognition  |  Recognition