In the early 19th century, some scientists became convinced that they could predict someone's personality and behaviour based simply on the shape

Could face and voice recognition become the new 'phrenology'?

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2021-06-13 11:30:06

In the early 19th century, some scientists became convinced that they could predict someone's personality and behaviour based simply on the shape of their head.

Known as phrenology, this pseudo-science accelerated notions of racism, intellectual superiority, and caused many to suffer just because of what they looked like—some people were even imprisoned because the contours of their skulls suggested "criminality."

However, some are warning that advanced uses of voice- and facial-recognition programs could herald a new era of phrenological thinking.

In some cases, companies are using your voice-print to build a profile of you, and make predictions about your personality, said Joe Turow, the author of The Voice Catchers and Robert Lewis Shayon Professor of Media Systems & Industries at the University of Pennsylvania.

"They're not telling you how their artificial intelligence brings it all together into some kind of personality, which they then sell in the marketplace, or some kind of selection of characteristics," Turow told Spark host Nora Young.