Intel's new facial recognition system for ATMs is made in Israel

Traditional authentication methods leave users vulnerable to ID theft and security breaches, Intel said, leading companies to pursue facial authentication technology for higher security standards.

By ZEV STUB

JANUARY 7, 2021 19:17

The logo of Intel, the world's largest chipmaker is seen at their offices in Jerusalem

(photo credit: REUTERS)

Intel introduced a new system that allows people to withdraw money from ATM machines by facial recognition, a product designed at the chipmaker’s development center in Haifa, the company said.

The chipmaker said its RealSense solution combines an active depth sensor with a specialized neural network designed to deliver secure, accurate, and user-aware facial authentication that works with smart locks, access control, point-of-sale, ATMs, kiosks, and more.

Traditional authentication methods leave users vulnerable to ID theft and security breaches, Intel said, leading companies to pursue facial authentication technology for higher security standards. RealSense has built-in anti-spoofing technology to protect against false entry attempts using photographs, videos or masks, and provides a one-in-a-million false acceptance rate. The system adapts to users over time as they change physical features, such as facial hair and glasses, and works in various lighting conditions and for customers across a wide range of heights or complexions.

The solution has an easy enrollment process with no network setup needed, so users are able to quickly unlock what’s important to them, Intel said.

RealSense is the latest in a long list of technologies that Intel has developed in Israel in its 47 years here. Previous high-profile Israeli innovations include the Pentium MMX processor in 1993, the Centrino processor (which helped solidify widespread use of WiFi networks) in 2003, and the Intel Core i9-9900K – known as the world’s best gaming processor – in 2018.

Intel is one of Israel’s largest exporters, with $6.6 billion of business done in 2019. The company employs some 13,700 workers across five centers in Israel, including those at Mobileye, which it acquired for $15.3b. in 2017.