Converus from the USA is promoting a new technology that can detect lies in 15-30 minutes. The solution analyzes involuntary eye movements and works several times faster than a traditional polygraph.
Polygraph is almost 100 years old. The middle polygraph consists of a physiological recorder that evaluates three indicators of autonomic arousal: heart rate / blood pressure, respiration, and skin conductivity.
Todd Mickelsen is the CEO of Converus, the company that developed and commercialized EyeDetect and EyeDetect +. His system can judge a person’s veracity based on video footage.
Converus estimates that their EyeDirect technology has an accuracy of 86-88% in detecting lies in humans. To apply this technology, the subject sits in front of a computer and takes an automated test with questions that can be answered “true” or “false”.
The test uses an infrared eye tracking camera to record and analyze eye movements. This test can record up to 60 measurements of involuntary eye behavior every second. Spontaneous eye behavior is changes in pupil diameter, eye movement, blinking and fixation, and so on.
After recording a video of eye movements, the program processes the data and in less than five minutes evaluates the person as deceptive or true. EyeDetect can run a 15-minute test called Targeted Lie Comparison or a 30-minute test called Multi-Problem Comparison Test.
The traditional polygraph examination can take from 90 minutes to five hours, and the final results take several weeks.
A special camera and software can capture eye behavior in milliseconds. According to the company, they have more than 600 clients in 50 countries and work in 50 languages.
The company believes that its main focus of work with EyeDirect is the analysis of individuals involved in drug use, robbery, sexual assault, infidelity, murder, sabotage, espionage, terrorism and other criminal and unethical behaviors. Their clients are mostly law enforcement, lawyers, private detectives and clergy.
From law enforcement to private companies and government agencies, experts are concerned that artificial intelligence tests could bring down the courts, the judiciary and society. Given the seriousness of the potential problems, an accuracy of 88% is not such a scientific breakthrough, but rather a question best described by basketball player Frank Robinson: “Close only important for horseshoes and hand grenades.”