Volunteers to further the progress of science and promote diversity

Volunteers to further the progress of science and promote diversity

Idiap researchers are looking for volunteers to test security systems. Their aim is not only to detect potential vulnerabilities, but also to reinforce security of private data. To achieve this goal, their challenge is to create a panel representing human diversity.

How to ensure that the system which secures the access to a phone, a database or a place is reliable? To certify and enhance authentication systems based on fingerprint or facial recognition, researchers test devices thanks to volunteers. To do so, they need to collect images (e.g. faces) to create testing profiles. Then they try to delude the system to be recognized as such a testing profile. Collected data are secured and only processed inside the research institute. They are never shared with third parties. Moreover, an ethics committee validates each project.

Diversity plays a key role for artificial intelligence success

To ensure the efficiency of these tests, scientists must have a panel as diverse as possible. Diversity of color of skin, gender, age, etc. matters to reflect human diversity, as security systems must work for everyone. Additionally, researchers use artificial intelligence to detect potential abuse of the face recognition system. Using the so called machine learning technique, they teach a computer how to identify fakes using a large amount of fake and real testing profiles examples. To achieve a good level of efficiency, researchers need hundreds of volunteers to help them.

We want you

The institute is looking for people over 18 years old willing to contribute to an independent scientific research and committed to safeguarding the personal information and privacy rights of people. Volunteers can register online (www.idiap.ch/volontaires). Data collection sessions last about 30 minutes and are compensated.