Trends Leveling Up

Face as boarding pass

In more and more airports, your boarding pass isn’t found in your pocket or on your phone – rather, it’s your face. From JFK to Atlanta, major U.S. airports are opting for biometric terminals that use facial recognition at check in, baggage drop, security screenings and as a boarding pass. The goal is to reduce friction and speed up the worst parts of the airport experience.

Not everyone sees this new service as a true convenience. Experts caution that the machines both do not substantially increase security at airports (all facial recognition checks are still verified by humans) and expose users to new privacy concerns. Indeed, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed that photos of travelers in this system were recently taken in a data breach.

Airports are not the only place where the public feels exposed. San Francisco City Council recently banned the use of facial recognition technology by its police force, raising questions of who is truly most at risk from this expanding technology. “There is an income gap quality to this signal,” Camilo LaCruz, sparks & honey’s chief strategy officer said. “If you live in a wealthy community like San Francisco, your identity and privacy will be more protected. You can own our face but only if you have the resources.”

Senior Cultural Strategist Amirah Cisse wondered what was to prevent people – especially criminals – from getting plastic surgery to stay one step ahead of facial recognition at airports or other public spaces.

Ultimately, this give and take between our trends of Frictionless and Privacy Rights is going to continue to shape our experience in vital, but stressful, public spaces like the airport.

---

Machine learning on mega yachts

Yachting Magazine is reporting about the intersection of artificial intelligence and advanced technology in a very rarefied space: mega-yachts. The deep-pocketed owners of these behemoth boats are looking for the ability to seamlessly control these remarkable pieces of machinery, hoping that artificial intelligence will be the key to doing just that.

Furrion, a commercial innovation firm, is leading this effort, unveiling Angel, a voice assistant system designed specifically for high-end yachts. The system relies on a voice assistant interface to “deliver the news and ­weather, ­order food from the kitchen, control your morning playlist, and guide you through a yoga workout ­­­— and so much more,” Furrion announced. 

“On the surface it seems silly,” said Robb Henzi, cultural strategy VP, “but at the end of the day voice assistants just like this are in short order going to impact all of spaces that we spend time in; home, work, cars — seeing this extend to the yacht or a cruise liner makes sense.”

Our Advisory Board member Rita J. King agreed, saying that she has heard from the lucky few who own these boats how surprisingly complex they are to run. The utility of a machine learning system in the seamlessness of a voice assistant could be transformative, the EVP of Science House added. 

Something for us all to consider as we all get ready to spend the rest of the summer attempting to get invited to yacht parties.

---

Meat and meh-getables

The arrival of the Impossible Burger at a number of major fast food destinations makes it seem like meat-free proteins have finally gone mainstream. The success of these plant-based meat products rests in their ability to unite vegan and non-vegan consumers, offering a break from the ethical, digestive and sustainability implications of red meat consumption.

Of course, like everything in the universe, such mainstreaming is subject to Newton’s Third Law of Physics, which states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

The reaction to the rise of alternative meats comes today from Arby’s, a sandwich chain whose slogan is “We Have the Meats.” The QSR outlet has announced a pioneering new product called megetables — moving from plant-based meats to meat-based plants.

“People love meat already. What Americans have a harder time doing is enjoying vegetables,” Arby’s Chief Marketing Officer Jim Taylor told Fast Company. The first iteration of these megetables is the marrot, a carrot shaped product made of turkey breast, cooked in a sous-vide style and shaped like the root vegetable. The final product is then rolled in dehydrated carrot juice and roasted before being brûléed.

“I don’t know,” said Project Manager Tyler Brogan, “If they have to color it with dehydrated carrot juice is it actually a vegetable-free vegetable?” Others, including Strategist Courtney Emery, were also suspicious. “If I wanted a vegetable I’d order a vegetable…and I never order vegetables.”