"High-resolution, low-cost cameras are proliferating." (Image by Leonid Dzhepko.)

An article by Steve Lohr in the New York Times looks at the positives and negatives involved in the coming proliferation of cameras that can recognize objects, gestures, situations and even faces. An excerpt:

“High-resolution, low-cost cameras are proliferating, found in products like smartphones and laptop computers. The cost of storing images is dropping, and new software algorithms for mining, matching and scrutinizing the flood of visual data are progressing swiftly.

A computer-vision system can watch a hospital room and remind doctors and nurses to wash their hands, or warn of restless patients who are in danger of falling out of bed. It can, through a computer-equipped mirror, read a man’s face to detect his heart rate and other vital signs. It can analyze a woman’s expressions as she watches a movie trailer or shops online, and help marketers tailor their offerings accordingly. Computer vision can also be used at shopping malls, schoolyards, subway platforms, office complexes and stadiums.

All of which could be helpful — or alarming.

‘Machines will definitely be able to observe us and understand us better,’ said Hartmut Neven, a computer scientist and vision expert at Google. ‘Where that leads is uncertain.’”