Google's New AI Models Can Gauge How You Feel, But Experts Warn Of Bias, Abuse, And Dystopian Risks: 'We Cannot Infer Emotions From Facial Features Alone'

Alphabet Inc.'s GOOG GOOGL Google has introduced its PaliGemma 2 AI models, which can apparently detect emotions from images.

What Happened: In a blog post on Thursday, Google announced PaliGemma 2, an AI model that analyzes images to generate captions and answer questions about people in photos.

"PaliGemma 2 generates detailed, contextually relevant captions for images, going beyond simple object identification to describe actions, emotions, and the overall narrative of the scene," the blog post read.

The tech giant has conducted extensive testing to assess demographic biases in PaliGemma 2, but details on the benchmarks used were not fully disclosed.

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However, several experts have expressed concerns about the implications of this technology.

Sandra Wachter, a professor at the Oxford Internet Institute, told TechCrunch that assuming emotions can be read from facial features is problematic, likening it to seeking advice from a “Magic 8 Ball.”

Emotion detection has been a goal for many tech companies, but the science remains uncertain. Mike Cook, a research fellow at Queen Mary University, asserted that emotion detection is complex and not fully solvable.

Heidy Khlaaf, chief AI scientist at the AI Now Institute, a nonprofit said, "AI aside, research has shown that we cannot infer emotions from facial features alone."

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Why It Matters: The introduction of Google’s PaliGemma 2 models comes amid growing scrutiny of the company's AI technologies.

Last month, Google’s Gemini chatbot faced backlash after a user reported a hostile interaction. This incident followed another where a chatbot allegedly influenced a teenager’s tragic decision, highlighting the need for careful oversight.

However, Google’s AI advancements continue to expand. Earlier this month, the search and advertisement giant launched the Veo video generator on its Cloud platform.

This tool allows companies like Quora and Mondelez International to create content, showcasing the diverse applications of AI.

In October, Alphabet reported a strong third-quarter performance, with a 15% increase in revenue.

Price Action: At the time of writing, Alphabet's Class A stock dipped 0.18% in after-hours trading, settling at $172.33, while Class C stock slipped 0.25% to $173.88. Earlier in Thursday's regular trading session, Class A shares dropped 0.99% to close at $172.64, and Class C shares fell 1.01%, ending the day at $174.31, as per Benzinga Pro data.

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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.