Facial recognition: A top challenge/opportunity for ATMs

Facial recognition is not a thing we only see in science fiction movies anymore. It has already found its way into our lives and considering the growing popularity of self-service equipment reliant upon its use, it's important to discuss the matter of its responsible use.

In this blog post, aided by Passport Photo's facial recognition technology facts, stats and trends, we will take a closer look at the implementation of self-service kiosks with facial recognition systems, and what American society thinks about the innovation.

The rise of facial recognition technology

What to many people still seems like the newest technological marvel and a reminder of how far the world of science has come had already made quite an impact on the world. According to industry data, the facial recognition market in 2020 was valued at a whopping $3.8 billion. What's more, that number is expected to go even higher and the estimations are quite astonishing. Facial recognition software's popularity will undoubtedly grow.

The success of facial recognition systems means that many companies could opt for a more modern approach and ditch traditional means of security in favor of biometric recognition.

Self-service kiosks, though they were plentiful even before face recognition technology made a breakthrough, now are presented with the opportunity to enter institutions of higher security needs. After all, why not let artificial intelligence help us be more secure?

A matter of security

With the rise of hacker threats and the matter of Internet security being a hot topic for the last few years, facial recognition technology has allowed self-service kiosks to add another layer of security. What many people became familiar with in 2017 when Apple Inc. released a FaceID to protect our phones and data stored inside has now evolved into something much larger.

More and more self-service manufacturers started to produce equipment that can check who exactly is standing right in front of it. Most notably, banks all around the world have been quick to implement facial recognition technology in ATMs.

You can encounter modern ATMs that take advantage of this technology that require not only slotting in the card but also a biometric scan of your face.

A major step in combating identity theft and fraud, you can argue it is a real game-changer. The knowledge that someone who has our credit card and somehow learns the PIN still can't access our life savings is comforting. To quote a line from a popular, American TV show, "Malcolm in the Middle": "The future is now."

More verticals adopt the technology

Self-service kiosks with facial recognition have also been implemented at airports and border crossings, making the identity verification process quicker and more straightforward. It's a useful alternative to an already thorough verification process that's also known to include fingerprint as well as document inspection.

Another sphere of life that benefitted from self-service stations applying face recognition systems is healthcare. Medical institutions have dealt with patient misidentification issues for the longest time, and implementing this innovative technology has been a major step forward. Clinics and other facilities armed with modern kiosks have made it convenient and safe to check in, which is especially important to older or ill individuals seeking help.

Facial recognition is also one of many implementations of AI that, according to Grand View Research, hospitals and other medical institutions are bound to make use of.

Americans' distrust for facial recognition

You'd think that the introduction of such helpful innovations would be met with almost universal praise and gratefulness. Every idea, however, is bound to find both its enthusiasts and opposition, and this time is no different.

Passport Photo's research demonstrates that the technology still has a long way to go to convince Americans.

According to the company's findings, the security that comes with the implementation of biometric scanning in ATMs, medical kiosks and other devices is still arguable. Roughly, only seven out of 10 Americans think that the technology is only "somewhat" accurate, thus implying they still believe it can be fooled.

Facial recognition remains a top challenge for the self-service industry.

Michal Laszuk is community manager at PhotoAid, a Poland based company that provides photo templates for passports for 100 countries.