Clearview AI Prototype Builds Full Online Profile From Single Photo; Profile Mostly Reveals Man Hasn't Updated LinkedIn Since 2019
The InquiryIQ tool assembled 340 data points on its first subject, 290 of which were the same headshot.
NEW YORK — Clearview AI's new InquiryIQ prototype, which automatically compiles a detailed dossier on any person from a single photograph, produced its first full report this week, painting a comprehensive picture of a 44-year-old Ohio man whose most recent public activity was accepting a connection request in March 2019.
"This is the power of the system," said a Clearview executive, presenting the report. "From one image, we know his employer as of seven years ago, his 'Skills & Endorsements,' which include 'Microsoft Office,' and that he once liked a post about leadership."
The report ran to 41 pages. Its "Recent Activity" section was blank. Its "Interests" section listed "Cleveland Browns" and, based on a 2014 forum post, "the correct way to season a cast-iron pan." Its "Professional Summary" reproduced the subject's LinkedIn headline, "Results-driven professional | Open to opportunities," followed by a machine-generated note reading "Status may be outdated."
Privacy advocates described the tool as a "profound threat to anonymity," which the executive did not dispute, adding that "for many subjects, the threat is more theoretical than we anticipated."
Clearview says the tool is intended for law enforcement and corporate security, and that its accuracy improves with subjects who "have done things online." The company acknowledged that its second test subject, a 26-year-old with 40,000 social media posts, produced a 900-page report that was "more of a memoir."
The Ohio man, reached by reporters, said he was unaware of the profile, unaware of the company, and "not sure I'm still at that job." Asked whether the experience had prompted him to update his LinkedIn, he said he would "look into it," which sources confirm he also said in 2021.