Artificial intelligence can now tell whether you are gay or straight simply by analyzing a picture of your face.

Two Stanford University researchers have reported startling accuracy in predicting sexual orientation using computer technology.

Dr. Michal Kosinski and Yilun Wang, whose research will be published by the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, say that AI can distinguish between the face of a heterosexual man and a homosexual man in 81 percent of cases. For women, the predictive accuracy is 71 percent.



In comparison, the scientists say, the average human is less adept at identifying between straight and gay people purely based on an image: We are only able to guess correctly in 61 percent of cases for men and 54 percent for women.

Facial recognition software A man uses a portable iris recognition scanner during the Biometrics 2004 exhibition and conference in London on October 14, 2004. Researchers found that AI could detect people's sexuality from a single photo with startling accuracy. Ian Waldie/Getty

When scientists presented the algorithm with five facial images of a single person, the accuracy increased to 91 percent for men and 83 percent for women.

Kosinski and Wang used “deep neural networks” to sample 35,326 facial images of men and women taken from a dating website.

Advanced computer analysis compared different facial characteristics and found that gay men and women tended to have “gender-atypical” features: fixed features such as the shape of one’s nose or jaw, and transient features such as hairstyle and facial hair.

The scientists then tested this idea to measure the "facial femininity" of each image, or the probability of that face being female. “The results show that the faces of gay men were more feminine and the faces of lesbians were more masculine than those of their respective heterosexual counterparts,” the study said. “Among men, the data-driven measure of facial femininity positively correlated with the probability of being gay.”

The findings advance discussion about the biological factors that may determine one’s sexual orientation. However, Kosinski tells The Economist, the research is not intended to be used to profile or “out” homosexual men and women. Rather, it is designed to demonstrate—or even warn—that technological advances can be used for such means and could pose a threat to our privacy, given that digital information is so easily accessible.

The researchers argue the “digitalization of our lives and rapid progress in AI continues to erode the privacy of sexual orientation and other intimate traits.”

http://www.newsweek.com/ai-can-tell-if-youre-gay-artificial-intelligence-predicts-sexuality-one-photo-661643

All that money and research for what wasted on this type of stuff instead of using it to actually help or amount to something..

This is one of the stupidest researches I have seen..

i've been trying to think of a reason for it, but nothing yet...

Heck even the percent rate on when it is right is worthless unless it is in the high 90% rate it is wasted money and stupid stuff like this is even more worthless..

What does it matter if one is gay or not??

This is about as bad as researcher testing to see if Redheads have a higher temper

Bad tempered red heads, what ever next!
It is crazy what they spend on some research, there was one here years ago, they sponsored students to find out why cornflakes go soft in milk!
What does it matter?
For a moment when I saw this post by moe I thought "gaydar" was the new device to stop ships bumping in to each other!

I thought it was about discovering a new species of alligators

I agree with TxsGal, what a waste of money.

i say we make them return all that research money, so it can be spent on this years hurricane relief

Should have spent it on homeless or our Vets instead... stuff like this just makes me shake my head

I don't agree with the part that says, gay guys look more fem and gay girls look more masculine!
You have very sexy looking fem lesbians and very masculine gay guys!

I agree, I have met quite a few where I live.

One of the guys at work is totally hot... and totally gay?

I have had gay friends that you would never know they were gay unless you was around them a lot..

And have known some that I thought they were gay by the way they talk and act but they were not...

Due to what percent rate they say is right goes to show you what we already knew......

Just cause one may seem more feminine has nothing to do if they are gay or not... Just some grew up and was shown you don't have to look/act masculine to be a man... it's okay to show ones feelings...

It just amazes me the money that is wasted on research that in the long run will not help anyone or make a difference in this world...

Some of the reasons for these stupid research projects is here at least these companies get tax relief from them, also I guess any kind of research for some students is a form of education in the field they are studying nether the less, there are a world full of other reasons not to waste so much money on a senseless outcome.