PREVIEW

Clothing has been designed to help people stay anonymous by disguising them from AI facial recognition technology.

Kirsty Love, 23, designed the garments to protect people's offline identities after realising how easily existing websites can identify individuals from a photograph and quickly provide online details about them.

The BA Fashion Knitwear student at Nottingham Trent University (NTU) developed a prototype skirt, jumper, and hat using reflective yarn and special patterns to confuse cameras and prevent recognition by artificial intelligence (AI).

“The fact that someone can now take your photo in the street and track you down in seconds to get your social media accounts and other personal information is absolutely terrifying,” said Kirsty, from Bradeley in Stoke-on-Trent.

“Millions of people take great care to protect their privacy online, but with the development of AI, lots of people will now want to consider their offline anonymity as well.

“Facial recognition software is out there and freely available for anyone to use, so I wanted to create clothes that are anti-detection which could provide a greater degree of privacy for people.”

Kirsty’s research identified a glitch that causes AI to confuse human faces with animals or blurred images.

For her clothing patterns, she layered human face images to appear blurry and distorted, creating a 'futuristic grunge' look.

The garments are made with reflective yarn, which illuminates when viewed through a camera in sunlight or under a flash, creating an invisible barrier that obscures key facial details.

The hat also partially covers the wearer’s face, making it difficult for photographers to capture a clear image, thus preventing AI from identifying the individual.

“I just wanted to give people privacy in a world that’s so dominated by social media,” added Kirsty, who is studying at the Nottingham School of Art & Design.

“I worry about the way AI has infiltrated people’s day-to-day lives and wanted to give people a way to choose whether they wanted their face to be part of their digital footprint or not.

“The aim is to prevent AI detection profiling on a wider scale, so the camera is more focused on the garment than the person to allow someone to go about their day-to-day life with better peace of mind.

“Everyone lacks privacy now, but we all need privacy for our own security, mental health, and personal space.”

Kirsty’s target demographic is 20 to 35-year-olds who are conscious of their social media presence. The clothes are unisex and oversized, with the jumper designed to be worn back to front.

Her designs will be showcased at NTU’s 2024 Graduate Festival, alongside works from other graduating artists and designers.

Helen Hill, senior lecturer in fashion knitwear and knitted textiles at the Nottingham School of Art & Design, said: “The potential for people to have their photo taken in the street and be identified within seconds is a frightening prospect which raises serious questions about privacy.

“Kirsty has shown how clothing can be designed to help protect a person’s anonymity while in a public place so that they can feel more secure in themselves and have better peace of mind.”