Image Recognition Software and effects on the Industry

[cordoba]

People have probably read about the recent advances in image recognition software and the fact that there is already a website promising to identify all the photos of an individual on the web on the basis of just one uploaded photo of that person (face dot com).

What implications do you think it might have for the industry? I can think of two obvious ones :

1/ It's obviously going to have massive implications for privacy and anonymity. Will people stop uploading nude pics/amateur videos of themselves if their friends, employers will be able to find them through matching one (normal) photo? This could be bad news for amateur porn and thus good news for the professional industry. Having said that, will porn companies have greater trouble recruiting models if even relative anonymity is impossible?

2/ Finding copyrighted images/videos on other sites. I don't know if image matching software is already being widely used in this way, but it should soon be a simple matter to locate every single illicit use of your material on the web. So the process of filing complaints and legal threats could potentially become fully automated and completely comprehensive.

[InfoGuy]

If they could tie this technology into government databases such as DMV, there could be instant age verification for performers. Downside would be giving Big Brother more info to watch you.