FaceApp's AI Facial Transformation Feature

FaceApp's Facial Transformation Features are features of the app FaceApp. These function to create a more clear, airbrushed version of a photo that is uploaded to the app. FaceApp uses artificial intelligence to create the final photo. [1]

source: Google Play Store

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Features

FaceApp uses artificial intelligence to airbrush a photo. The artificial intelligence in the app, FaceApp, detects faces. After detecting a face, artificial intelligence is used to target parts of the face chosen by a user to create a more clear, airbrushed photo. FaceApp's artificial intelligence features are involved in several functions within FaceApp.

The category, retouch, in FaceApp prompts a user to draw over an area they would like to airbrush. Then, the artificial intelligence in FaceApp detects what part of the face is being drawn over, processes the image, and returns an airbrushed version to the user.

In the gender category, the app gives three choices named 'masculine' or 'feminine' followed by numbers 1 or 2. As the number increases next to the gender selection, the amount of airbrushing done on the photo increases. This feature of FaceApp makes a face in an uploaded photo to appear either more feminine or masculine. The feminine feature produces a photo where the user's hair is longer and of brighter color. The skin on the face in the uploaded photo will appear more smooth and if teeth are in the photo, they will appear more white. The eyes on the face will be brightened and eyelashes will be lengthened, darkened. Makeup will be added to the photo. The face will have a smaller nose and more prominent cheekbones. The person in the photo will have more prominent collar bones and their upper half will be accentuated. In the masculine feature, the user's hair will be shorter, brighter, and facial hair will be added. The skin on the face will appear smooth and teeth will appear more white. The eyes on the face will be brightened but makeup will be removed. The face will have a wider nose and prominent jawline.

With this feature, a user can change their gender entirely in a photo by artificial intelligence features if the app is prompted to do so. FaceApp's artificial intelligence will detect a user's features that associate with the gender in the photo and change detected features to those that associate with the opposite gender.

In the age feature of FaceApp, a user can age their selfies. FaceApp detects the face and adds wrinkles in the forehead and mouth area. The feature also adds drooping skin around the eyes, jawline, and cheeks. It changes the user’s hair to be gray in color and skin to be of slightly paler color.

History

FaceApp was created in 2014 and released in 2017 for IOS and Android by Yaroslav Goncharov’s company Wireless Lab. The company is based in Russia in a tech hub west of Moscow, but is also incorporated inside the US in Delaware [2]. FaceApp’s founder worked at Windows Mobile for Microsoft, SPB Software and co-founded the Russian company named Yandex. As a part of Yandex, Goncharov headed their mobile platform department from 2011 to 2013. Prior to Yandex, Goncharov worked for SPB Software making home-screen replacements for Android devices. FaceApp’s founder worked for Microsoft before this.Bus inside By selling Yandex, Goncharov became very wealthy. Goncharov began FaceApp when he was forty years old with a staff of twelve. Many of FaceApp’s staff have similar professional backgrounds to Goncharov, working for Yandex, a Russian social-media platform named VKonatakte, and SPB Software.[3] FaceApp became popular amongst Americans after celebrities posted photos using the aging feature of the app [4]. FaceApp has attracted attention specifically from the LGBT community and the transgender community because of the app’s ability to simulate a person in a photo as their opposite gender. FaceApp has attracted attention from instagram influencers due to its ability to airbrush a photo. FaceApp has more than 80 million users worldwide.[5]

Privacy

FaceApp’s servers are mostly based within the United States. FaceApp hosts records in the United States, Ireland, and Singapore. After a user uploads a photo to FaceApp, the app uploads their photos to a server ‘cloud’ run by both Amazon and Google[6]. The app’s privacy policy states that the app can collect any photo uploaded by a user and data on websites visited by the user[7]. The app’s terms of service states the app has a license to use the user's photos, name, and likeness in any way the app sees fit. FaceApp removes photos from its servers after 24 to 48 hours in accordance with the app’s “perpetual” license to user’s photos. To improve the app, it must store data so that it can continue to train the algorithm that makes the app work. Connecting a user’s social media to the app allows for data-scraping by third parties[8]. FaceApp does not have access to every photo in a user’s camera roll. You can use FaceApp without giving your real name or email. For Russian users: users may have data stored in Russia. To delete data users must make an inquiry in the “Report a Bug” tab within FaceApp. The app’s founder is currently working on a better user interface to delete user data[9].

Artificial Intelligence

To manipulate images, FaceApp uses image recognition technology. The image recognition technology allows facial recognition systems within the app to work. The technology uses deep learning to recognize facial features like eyes, nose, mouth, and jawlines. The machine learning model works on sample data that is gathered from a user’s device. The sample data that is collected is composed of the user’s images on their device that they choose to share with the app. By collecting the sample data, FaceApp’s artificial intelligence software consists of Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs), a deep-learning-based network, so that it can understand the human face in depth. The group of networks used for artificial intelligence in FaceApp is also used for high-fidelity natural image synthesis, augmenting data, and enhancing image compression. The Generative Adversarial Network associated with FaceApp uses two neural network algorithms that conflict with each other and eventually produce new information, a manipulated image. They are designed to recognize patterns on their own and manipulate images based on images pushed to the app. Its database of user images consists of millions of photos. In FaceApp, by using Generative Adversarial Networks for facial alteration, it often happens that the deep neural networks in the software lose the input information (the image) in the conflicting algorithm process which edits the images and produces entirely new information, a new image, for the user. To make the Generative Adversarial Networks more accurate, FaceApp uses a GAN that recognizes age and uses it as a conditional. The software works to preserve the age of the face in the pushed image so that an entirely new image is not created, unless prompted[10].

To create the opposite gender feature, similar artificial intelligence is used. Along with an age parameter, FaceApp uses gender-labelled data as a conditional and swaps the image to be that of the opposite.

The sample data allows the app to manipulate a face with precision, the more photos a user adds of a face in FaceApp, the more accurately it will manipulate [11]

References

1. https://analyticsindiamag.com/the-ai-behind-faceapp/
2. https://www.businessinsider.com/faceapp-privacy-concerns-russian-company-behind-it-2019-7#faceapp-reportedly-moved-to-the-skolkovo-innovation-center-which-is-run-by-the-russian-government-in-2018-although-the-firm-said-it-was-not-affiliated-with-the-venture-in-any-way-4
3. https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2019/07/24/meet-the-face-behind-faceapp-rich-russian-yaroslav-goncharov/?sh=484a9408255a
4. https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/07/17/you-downloaded-faceapp-heres-what-youve-just-done-your-privacy/
5. https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/07/17/faceapp-adds-decades-your-age-fun-popular-russian-owned-app-raises-privacy-concerns/
6. https://www.forbes.com/sites/kateoflahertyuk/2020/06/19/faceapp-privacy-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-viral-russian-app/?sh=1f8dce727219