Algorithms Can Make You Pretty

caffeinemessiah writes "The New York Times has an interesting story on a new algorithm by researchers from Tel Aviv University that modifies a facial picture of a person to conform to standards of attractiveness. Based on a digital library of pictures of people who have been judged 'attractive,' the algorithm finds the nearest match and modifies an input picture so it conforms to the 'attractive' person's proportions. The trick, however, is that the resultant pictures are still recognizable as the original person. Here's a quick link to a representative picture of the process. Note that this is a machine-learning approach to picture modification, not a characterization of beauty, and could just as easily be used to make a person less attractive." Note: As reader Trent Waddington points out, the underlying research was mentioned in an earlier story as well.

I wonder...

..how this would handle a goatse pic.

Re:I wonder...

..how this would handle a goatse pic.

About the same as 20 gallons of Preparation H.

Ok, I'm sold

Now, which port on this computer do I stuff my wife in?

Re:Ok, I'm sold

Funny, she was just asked which port she is supposed to stuff her husband into...

Re:Ok, I'm sold

The algorithms is installed using a liquid sold in cans and bottles, usually labeled as "beer."

Oh great, just what the world needs.

A way for people to fake their online photos in a way that when you finally meet them IRL you go ... AAAGH! What ... happened.. .to you... Car accident?

Re:Oh great, just what the world needs.

Apparently you've never heard of the MySpace Angles [officialda...source.com].

Re:Oh great, just what the world needs.

My favorite line:

"the difference is so subtle that it just shows how insignificant it is. We're talking about a few inches maybe and a slightly changed perception."

"A few inches maybe"?! How big are these faces? Jesus Christ, a few inches and I'd be able to sniff my eyelids.

Cultural bias?

They are never going to get away from the cultural influence.

I suspect that's why they used two different countries for their data. It's funny just how horrified some people are by the idea of hardcoded behavior in humans. It's a fight that's pretty much over at this point, and the nature and nurture camps both had a lot right and wrong.

duped...

Here's the original [slashdot.org]...

Here's the source [tau.ac.il]...

Re:duped...

Yes it was duped but this new version is much better because it was fed through the algorithm. Good job slashdot!

Fox news already does this

and could just as easily be used to make a person less attractive.

Fox "News" already does this [mediamatters.org] when they're running stories about reporters from other news outlets.

--MarkusQ

I actually think

That the 'before' picture is much more appealing. She has nice eyes and an interesting, engaging face. She looks like someone who would be worth talking to.

The 'after' picture looks like a generic pretty-but-not-beautiful girl. She looks like she would be interested in shopping and hairstyles. The world would be very boring if everyone looked like that.

Re:I actually think

I actually think... that the girl on the right is better looking. But the girl on the left would be more likely to hook up with most slashdotters. Therefore to most slashdotters, she will be more attractive.

Re:I actually think

She looks like she would be interested in shopping and hairstyles. The world would be very boring if everyone looked like that.

WHY DO YOU HATE AMERICA?!

Re:I actually think

I'm not here to argue which picture is prettier but I know for sure that you can't make conclusions about her personality just by the way she looks. That's sexism, plain and simple.

While I agree that making guesses at someone's interests based on a headshot is superficial, we disagree on the definition of sexism. The poster was comparing two women, and not contemplating offering a job to either one (as far as I can tell).

Either that, or we disagree on the definition of women.

Hulk not ugly! Hulk rugged!

From TFA: "Irregular beauty is the real beauty," said Dr. Banner, adding that such attempts to measure beauty are driven culturally by sameness, making everyone look alike.

I agree with Dr. Banner, and not just because I don't want to make him angry.

My head just exploded.

"Before and after of Alison Bruce. The software program is based on the responses of 68 men and women, age 25 to 40, from Israel and Germany, who viewed photographs of white male and female faces and picked the most attractive ones."

So a bunch of Germans and Jews got together and sorted through a bunch of people to determine which ones were better?

Wow. Just wow.

Re:See what happens when you put Hillary Clinton's

Online dating, here I come!

links as requested

I am not sure about Hillary (you could've provided a link)

Hillary Clinton was a candidate in the U.S. Presidential election; here is some information about her [wikipedia.org] and here is her website [hillaryclinton.com]. She was also married to a former president of the U.S. Let me know if you need links or information about him too.

Precious Moments

I wonder how much easily this could be accomplished just by enforcing the golden ratio on a face.

If you enforce the golden ratio too far, you get Precious Moments [about.com], where the eyes are a golden ratio down the face (resulting in a huge forehead) and the neck is a golden ratio up the body (resulting in difficulty putting on clothes).

Re:Fuck Israel

I have an algorithm to make women look prettier. It involves large quantities of alcohol.

Re:I'm Already Pretty

yea, this research is completely useless. the only potential application i can see for this is to sell software to insecure individuals with low self-esteem so that they can hide behind altered photos of themselves online, further reinforcing their negative self image.

honestly, this program embodies what is most wrong with modern western culture--superficiality, vanity, and an abhorrence of eccentricity or individuality.

Re:I'm Already Pretty

"Agreed, not all of us want our women to look like bobbleheaded dolls."

Performance, OTOH...

Re:Well...

I put my picture in and nothing changed.

Don't worry, it's just that it's still working on it.