Zi-Xin Chen

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A recently developed system called ThermoSecure, is developed by researchers from the University of Glasgow, and it is said to have the ability to detect users’ password using thermal imaging cameras and AI.

First, it uses a thermal camera to take a picture of a keyboard, number pad or smartphone. Then, by analyzing the relative heat of the different buttons, the system can determine the keys that were pressed to enter the password, and it can also determine the order in which they were pressed. Here is where the AI comes in with analyzing the image. The AI is trained with 1,500 thermal photos of recently used keyboards, and it is capable of making an informed guess about the password by applying a probabilistic model.

The shortcoming is that the success rate depends heavily on factors such as the time difference between when the password was entered and when the picture was taken. The material of the keyboard and the length of the the password also affect the success rate. The current success rate in general is 86% when thermal images are taken within 20 seconds, 76% when within 30 seconds and 62% after 60 seconds of entry.

This research is getting more and more relevant in times in which thermal sensors get more affordable and AI is evermore accessible and advanced. The question of whether or not the traditional preventions against these attacks, such as long passwords, will still stand effective as AI advances, is worth looking into in the field of cybersecurity. Alternative modes of authentication that provides other solutions, such as facial recognition or fingerprint, are probably going to face the same challenge in the near future.

Source:
Glasgow, U. o. (2022, Oct 10). AI-driven ‘thermal attack’ system reveals computer and smartphone passwords in seconds. Retrieved from Tech Xplore: https://techxplore.com/news/2022-10-ai-driven-thermal-reveals-smartphone-passwords.html

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Earlier this year there was some news about the controversiality of an AI artis – FN Meka, the “robot rapper”. Capitol Music Group, a well-known record label, cut ties with Factory New, the company behind this virtual Artist, because of racism portrait controversy. Although FN Meka is voiced by a human, it is partially powered by AI (in the fields including music composition, lyrics writing, chord creation, tempo and sounds, etc.).

As much as Factory New prided themself as the “first of its kind, next generation music specializing in virtual beings”, they are now seen as someone who trivializes racial and social issues by releasing music performed by a “black-looking” AI entity with lyrics concerning staying in prison and the N-word. The founder of Factory New tried to argue from the perspective that this AI is basically a black guy, indicating that the expression should have been socially acceptable. This claim is not enough to calm the backlash from this incident, seeing that Capitol had to severe ties with them still.

The true intriguing thing I find about this news, is that it portrays how, as neutral as AI is considered in terms of gender, race, age, etc., AI is not considered “eligible” when it comes to creating content and profiting on cultural stereotypes and appropriations. It might be that people don’t consider the AI artist itself to have any decision-making authority, and that the company representative is the main “creditor” of the music created, and because he happened to be white, it’s not acceptable. Yet, when there was success, people probably would give the credit to this unique AI element. The begs the question of, in the future use of AI, who is to bear the legal responsibility of this kind of inappropriate usage of AI power? Can AI ever be regarded as a autonomous entity?

Source:
Coscarelli, J. (2022, Aug 23). Capitol Drops ‘Virtual Rapper’ FN Meka After Backlash Over Stereotypes. Retrieved from The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/23/arts/music/fn-meka-dropped-capitol-records.html

AI stealing password

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Racist AI?

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