The scary website that finds all your photos on the internet

PimEyes uses artificial intelligence to find images that people no longer remember. It’s annoying.

Another invention of artificial intelligence.

Once a photo is posted online, it will likely be on the web forever. Thinking about all of our pictures on the internet – which we don’t remember – is really weird. Even more frightening is the ability to access this entire archive in just seconds, from very old posts to content we haven’t even shared.

This is the basis of Pim Eyes, a free facial recognition tool. Through the use of artificial intelligence – based on ChatGPT software, for example – the service allows people to find any image of themselves or other people spread across the Internet.

After a user uploads a photo of himself, the mechanism uses that photo to compile all of the content available on the Internet. To do this, the service searches all publicly accessible websites, such as social networks, news agencies, or blogs.

According to reports from The New York Times, the tool found photos several years old, even if the sample included a person wearing sunglasses or masks. Other factors such as facial hair, haircut, or aging also did not influence the research.

Considered charming by some or “the most disturbing AI site” by others, it has been criticized by privacy activists. The dispute revolves around the use of technology to put women and children at risk of persecution by stalkers, for example. But there are also those who think they can fight sharing without consent.

On the subject, those responsible for Pim Eyes told the British station BBC that the stakes are not greater than those on social networks. It also ensures that the images are not stored on the server. Instead, a facial imprint is made using the key features of the person.

The Polish site, created in 2017, started as a personal and entertainment project. It ended up being sold in 2019 and since then it has gone from being little known to a popular and notorious service.