Top facial recognition tech is thrown off by masks, study says, but that could soon change

Masks are confusing many commercial facial-recognition systems, a new study finds, leading to error rates as high as 50%.

A preliminary study published Monday by the National Institute for Standards and Technology found that facial-recognition algorithms could be tripped up by such variables as mask color and shape. But industry players already are working on software that adjusts for masks - a requirement in many public spaces to contain the spread of covid-19 - which the NIST also plans to study this summer...