Facial recognition using AI with Python

This month we'll be learning how to perform facial recognition in photographs using artificial intelligence with the Python programming language.

Advances in AI have raised the potential of asking questions from photographs, allowing us to approach them as a data source. This is known as computer vision, and facial recognition is one sub-field. This technology has been used by the New York Times to help reporters working in Washington DC to identify which members of congress are who. Other news organisations have experimented with using facial recognition to identify key people from video footage.

In this session we'll be following a tutorial that will introduce us to the key concepts in facial recognition, including the ethical issues to be aware of. We will be identifying faces in historical yearbook photos, and then going one step further and using this technique to attempt to answer a question: do people in more recent photos smile more?

All of our events are suitable for beginners, and no programming experience is required. Bring a laptop along as this a practical, hands-on workshop. Please also sign up for a Dropbox account if you don't already have one so you can edit the shared doc we'll be using during the event. You will also need a Google account.

Schedule
7:00 🚪 Doors open
7:30 🗣 Show and tell
7:40 💻 Tutorial
9:00 🍺 Drinks at the Prince Arthur

If you can't make the main event, you're also welcome to just join us in the pub from 9!

What is Journocoders? We are a community and monthly meetup for journalists and other people in the media who want to learn technical skills for use in their reporting -- and meet likeminded others.

Our events do often fill up, but if it's full please do join the waitlist as spaces do typically become available. And if you find you can no longer make it, please update your RSVP so someone else can take your spot.