Whilst facial recognition software is widely recognised as a useful mechanism to eliminate airport chaos, it is truly amazing to see how the advances in facial biometric technology can be used for humanitarian ends – most recently in identifying young victims of Turkey and Syria’s devastating earthquakes.
The software DerinGÖRÜ was donated by the Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkiye amid the unfolding natural disaster, with previous use by police and other institutions and is helping to match the biometrics of young missing survivors pulled from the rubble who are unable to provide their personal information to authorities with missing people databases.
The Hürriyet Daily News reported with a better insight into events that that 144 children have been identified so far.
As hopes begin to fade for news of the missing as time goes on, and the death toll rises to 25,000, the software is at least helping to prevent a prolonged separation and agonising wait for news for families of missing children.
Around 80,000 people are being treated in hospital.
