Mask technology in Mission: Impossible has been a joke due to how unrealistic it is. However, mask technology has been evolving to the point that the mission does not seem to be impossible anymore. Currently the Kyoto university is developing a hyper-realistic silicone that can mimic freckles and wrinkles that can be really deceiving. A study has been conducted with participants in the UK and Japan being showed pair of photos with a normal person an the other one in a mask, and they must get who is the real one. The result is the consistent 20% wrong. The developers believe that the percentage of errors will increase as more development will be put into the masks. The developers are currently pursuing the goal to make the invention affordable and widely use. (Kooser 2019)
This invention would be an asset in the filming industry. However, these masks should not be commercially used, as it would encourage acts of identity theft, pranks, and public disturbances, leading to serious damage to a person’s well-being.
Reference: https://www.cnet.com/news/hyper-realistic-masks-can-fool-us-just-like-in-mission-impossible/
This is a really cool subject, and quite interesting because it is so different compared to most tech topics covered. This product would be extremely beneficial in the entertainment industry as discussed. However, the point made that is much more important is that this product has to be kept out of the hands of those who pose a threat to potentially misuse it.
I believe that a way to combat possible threats of identity theft, pranks, and public disturbances as a result of the mask could be to use more smart technology. There should be a way to permit the selling of this product to verified consumers of the entertainment industry, and not to run of the mill people off the street who can use this product in a negative light or with illegal intentions. Smart technology such as facial recognition and eye sensors could be used to verify the person who puts on the mask. If the product is developed personally for a specific consumer it would be better for the general public. If there are any other potential ways to avoid these threats I would be quite interested to know, or hear from a different viewpoint that I have not considered.
This article interests me because of the numerous pros and cons that need to be identified when bringing this type of technology to the free market. This combination of technology and plastics can recreate someone’s facial recognition. In certain scenarios where, for example, burn victims could use this new technology to recreate there face in the most realistic way possible, this new mask can help people restart their life. However, I genuinely believe that there are many more negatives to this new invention. In general, face recognition is the basic way that people are identified and it is a very important part of crime and security prevention everywhere. When we walk into any airport, for example, security officers use our passport as well as our physical perception at the current moment to recognize who we are. With this mask, there are so many possible cases where people can make a different person’s facial identity in the form of this mask. For example, there was a case where a white bank robber uses a realistic mask to disguise himself as a black male bank robber instead. Another case was when a 20-year-old was able to slip past Hong Kong airport security clearance dresses as an elderly white man. There are so many ways criminals can use these hyper-realistic masks in a dangerous way that can truly affect the detention all around the world. If proper rules and regulations or other ways of identifying people such as biometrics aren’t used, this could greatly exploit our current world’s identification metrics as well as an increase in the percentage of unsolved criminal cases.
https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/hyper-realistic-masks-put-new-faces-on-crime/
This is very interesting and can be incredibly helpful and incredibly dangerous. It can be dangerous for the reasons you listed, but it can also be dangerous in terms of society and the ever evolving, increasingly difficult/impossible beauty standards that we have. Right now our beauty standards are mainly influenced by online photos and personalities, but many of us know that photoshop and apps like it have been used. If those unrealistic beauty standards were to turn into something very real and tangible it could be horrible for us as a society. People could literally change their face in real life and look photoshopped in real life. That extremely scary. Maybelline had a similar concept back in 2014. Of course the mask was not realistic and it was more satire than anything but the concept is very real and could be a reality in the future if these become more advanced.
The benefits include being a tool for people who have experienced life altering accidents that have left them deformed. This can include burn victims, acid attack victims, etc. This can help with confidence and living a normal life.
This is a two sided coin and it will be interesting to see if these masks improve to the point where they are unrecognizable, and what kind of impact they will have on our society.
https://www.theonion.com/maybelline-introduces-new-ideal-woman-rubber-mask-to-us-1819576784
In my opinion, I think this topic is very interesting. First, I think it is hard to believe that some people were actually not able to tell the difference between the person and the mask. I hope they continue to make strides with these masks because it would definitely be great for the filming industry. I know that a lot of times, companies hire stunt doubles to perform dangerous scenes in movies. According to twistedsifter.com, stunt doubles are “Professionals that do an amazing job which is why you hardly notice them. You believe it’s the actors because of great editing, matching wardrobe and a stunt double that looks similar (for the most part).” Many famous actors use stunt doubles, such as Dwayne Johnson and Tom Cruise. So, I feel that these masks would make for better movies because they would make it even harder to tell that an actor is not performing a dangerous scene. Although it might take jobs away from talented stunt doubles, it would probably result in less injuries.
I definitely agree that these masks should not be used commercially. I can see many problems arousing with this such as faking people’s identity to perform serious crimes. I think big companies that are using them for good things should be the only people who can use these masks. I hope these masks continue to improve because I think it would be outstanding for the filming industry.
Source: https://twistedsifter.com/2012/05/actors-and-their-stunt-doubles-photos-gallery/
The new inventions brought about by all technologies are a double-edged sword, because some inventions break the way humans think. This hyper-realistic masks using materials such as resin and plastic, it is possible to accurately replicate a person’s face, especially to the fine lines and blood vessels of the skin. This mask means that humans have made a major breakthrough in bionics, but it also could be a new gate for criminal cases. There are now dozens of criminal cases in which culprits have passed themselves off as people of a different age, race or gender, sending police investigations down the wrong path. With the advancement of technology, nobody want to have two identical people in this world, and others can do what you should do and have the wealth that suppose belong to you.The advancement of science and technology is a great thing, but the choices of criminals is also increasing, the corresponding laws should be changed, and people’s awareness of self-protection should also be improved.
source: https://neurosciencenews.com/realistic-face-masks-15247/
This is a very interesting topic of technology. These masks can be used for many different things. Actors in movies and horror houses can take advantage of this creation. These masks are being 3d printed, allowing for a full mask to be created within 60 hours. But the question is how will these masks be used by the public. Will they be used in Halloween costumes or for practical jokes. Or is there a potential that they will be used for crime. People can commit burglaries as other people or even commit identity theft. I personally do not think these masks should be available to the public unless there is an easy way to identify them as fake. Maybe by tagging the back of the head with an obvious marker will help prevent crime with these masks.
https://all3dp.com/hyperflesh-3d-prints-molds-create-disturbingly-realistic-masks/
https://eandt.theiet.org/content/articles/2017/11/hollywood-s-silicone-masks-used-to-commit-crimes-most-people-can-t-distinguish-from-real-faces/
I find this piece to be partially interesting because of the problems that it can raise. The problem that really stood out to me was the fact that you brought up was identity theft. The link that i provided bellow is what I looked up to see what these masks were actually like.
https://www.realfleshmasks.com/
If you click on this link, you can see just how realistic they look. This could cause aboundful of problems and identity theft would be a big one. With the amount of technology we have today, someone could easily steal a passport and then make one of these masks. I know this is a bit of an extreme but that is a huge possibility! These masks would also make it really easy for people to create public disturbances.
I feel like giving people the technology to make more, and more human like ones, would be unsafe for the public.
We are at a point in the world where technology is developing so fast. Soon these masks will be able to populate everywhere and we have to make sure that they’re used in the right environment!