Get ready to get creeped out when you go shopping. Content Marketing Insider reports that FARIS is coming.
That stands for Fully Aware and Responsive In-Store technology. Very few in-store employees are fully aware and responsive, so could this be an improvement?
Doesn't sound like it to me. Here's how it works: the system takes your picture and assesses your gender and your age, with an accuracy of plus or minus 5 years. It is able to detect "seven different dimensions of emotion as measured by expression" and five personality traits.
Based on that, it provides content. If your expression changes to one that's more positive, the system knows it's on the right track.
But wait, there's more. Then it asks you to give it your Twitter handle. If you do that (don't do it!) it analyzes your last 200 tweets and uses that information to recommend products.
How long before politicians are using it? Yes, soon they will be able to tell you EXACTLY what you want to hear. Never mind that what they tell your neighbor will be the opposite.
The makers assure us that they don't save any information. To which I'd add the word, "yet."
