From urban living, transportation system, health of the people to start-ups and big corporates, the Smart Nation initiative by Singapore government envisions a world-class city to give the citizens a secure home and catalyse overall growth across all sectors. The government has set certain milestones for various industries till 2021 and beyond, one of which is the National Digital Identity (NDI). It is an authentication system developed for citizens to access hundreds of digital services of public and private sectors through a single digital identity by adopting AI and facial recognition technology.
Facial recognition technology has inherently been a part of our day-to-day lives, given the tech-driven world that we live in today. With its convenience, efficiency and accuracy, it has become crucial especially in a dynamic business hub like Singapore. However, by amalgamating it with human involvement, facial recognition can ensure a more accountable decision-making process.
With that said, the Singapore government, in its bid to eliminate the need for ID cards by 2022, is planning to install kiosks fitted with cameras across government offices so that visitors can conveniently check-in for their services with just their faces without the need of ID card. However, this is just one of the umpteen other initiatives that is being undertaken.
On the other hand, from the private sector, start-ups and established AI-based companies are stepping forward to boost the government’s vision of a Smart Nation and ease the way of living of people in general. XRVision is one such company that aims to tackle security challenges faced by government and enterprises, by leveraging IoT and cutting-edge computer vision technologies. It performs video analytics in uncontrolled, crowded environments and secures large volumes of assets and people through intelligent solutions. Backed by investment firms like Boundary Holding, a Luxembourg-based firm, the start-up has been able to expand into new markets over the years. Rajat Khare, an Artificial Intelligence -based entrepreneur and founder of Boundary Holding said, “We value the potential of XRVision’s AI-based technology in recognising faces while extracting actionable data to maintain public order, and its ability to expand into various industries to assure safety.”
Similarly, Seventh Sense, founded by Varun Chatterji, is an AI tech start-up that focuses on creating efficient and low-cost computer vision systems. Amid the pandemic, the company has devised fever detection solutions through its AI-driven facial recognition and thermal camera processing technology, thus allowing public places such as shopping malls and hospitals to do away with the need of manual screenings.
Facial recognition technology is being increasingly adopted across several sectors – from banking to retail, healthcare and more. In addition to ensuring security and safety of the people, it also helps in automating various processes and gaining meaningful insights into complex data. Therefore, considering its multifarious application, the technology can play a key role in fulfilling Singapore’s vision of a Smart Nation in the near future.