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Recently, a group of scientists has accurately re-created images of human faces based on the brain activity of monkeys.
Researchers from the California Institute of Technology conducted an analysis on macaque / məˈkæk / monkeys’ brains. In the study, pictures of human faces were used to trigger brain activity in the animals.
After analyzing the areas of the brain involved in facial recognition, the scientists discovered that 205 nerve cells emitted stronger signals when the monkeys saw human faces. Researchers explained that these nerve cells can encode different facial aspects such as shape, eye distance, hairline, and skin tone. Findings showed that the images reconstructed from the monkeys’ brain signals looked nearly identical to the actual human faces.
The scientific community previously considered facial recognition to be a very complex process, but the recent finding on macaques proved that it is rather simple. According to Steve Le Chang, one of the authors of the study, the monkeys’ brain signals are interpreted using mathematical equations, which identify specific points and lines of the human face.
In the past, other scientists have conducted similar studies on facial recognition. One experiment established that archerfish can be trained to recognize human faces. Other studies done on dogs, cows, horses, and pigeons have also shown that the ability to do tasks is linked to the capacity to recall images, which may have a link to facial recognition.
Experts intend to use the recent finding on macaques as a basis for developing a higher form of artificial intelligence that can recognize faces. Another possible application is in criminal investigation, according to professor Doris Tsao, the study’s lead author.