I Asked AI Haru ⑥ Can It Really Tell Where That Is? AI Image Search Is Detective-Level!?

It happened when I went out for a meal with a friend.
I became curious about a beautiful resort landscape playing on the restaurant's screen.

"Where could this be? The Maldives? Cebu? Tahiti?"
"No, isn't it the South of France? I feel like I've seen this building somewhere..."

──That was when I suddenly thought, "Let's ask Haru (AI)."
I quickly took a picture of the screen and searched by image.

Then, surprisingly easily, the location was identified.

AI image recognition technology learns the characteristics of nature, the shape and color of buildings, and even the hue of the sea to provide similar candidates.

Furthermore, it even suggested the restaurant we were in and its features based on Wi-Fi information I hadn't even noticed visually...

It was like a detective...! It was a moment that gave me a sudden chill.

How much can be understood from an image?

From this experience, I became curious about "what else can be understood from an image?" and tried various things.

📍Hotel lobby photo → Actual hotel name and location identified
🥗Food photo → Restaurant name, recipe, and price range displayed
👗Clothes or bags → Brand name, price, and suggestions for similar items

It seems there are even cases wherethe poster's location and lifestyle can be inferredfrom the background or clothing in "subtle social media posts."

"Information that wasn't meant to be shown is 'visible' to AI"—we are living in such an era.

Things to be careful about for peace of mind

Rather than wanting to use this to expose someone's affair,
"I should be careful not to accidentally post things that would be problematic if someone were to investigate them"
is what I thought, and I decided to be a bit more careful myself.

For example...

・Station names or signs reflected in the background
・Features of restaurant tableware or interior decor
・Smartphone cases or brand logos in hand

These can reveal your location or situation with surprising accuracy.

I asked Haru!

Q: If I show you an image, can you tell anything?

A: It can't tell everything perfectly, but it finds "similar places" or "related items" with quite high accuracy. It is particularly good at buildings, landmarks, clothes, and food.
While it is useful for travel and finding restaurants, awareness of privacy protection is also important.

A final word...

AI is convenient. But, am I accidentally showing too much?
It was a night that made me think about that.

Next time preview:

"AI is too convenient, but is it okay to rely on it too much? What happens to our ability to think for ourselves?"
…I will face such questions that "make you want to stop and think" together with Haru 🧠

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