Periodic Reporting for period 4 - FACETS (Face Aesthetics in Contemporary E-Technological Societies)
Reporting period: 2023-12-01 to 2024-12-31
The Face Aesthetics in Contemporary E-Technological Societies (FACETS) project addressed a fundamental question: What is the role and significance of the human face in the digital age? In our increasingly digital world, the face has become a central element in various aspects of life, from social interactions to security measures. Understanding its evolving representation and meaning is crucial for comprehending modern society.
The project had two main objectives:
1) Comprehensive study of digital face representations: FACETS aimed to systematically explore new forms of face representation and usage in the digital era. This was achieved through an interdisciplinary approach, combining insights from visual history, semiotics, phenomenology, visual anthropology, and face perception studies. The goal was to understand how digital technologies, such as social media platforms and facial recognition software, are transforming our perceptions and interactions involving faces.
2) Development of quantitative metrics for facial data: Recognizing the vast amount of 'facial big data' circulating online, FACETS sought to create reliable quantitative metrics to analyze this data. By collecting, analyzing, and socially contextualizing large datasets, the project aimed to identify the cultural and technological factors driving changes in face perception and representation.
Through these efforts, FACETS has provided valuable insights into the dynamic role of the human face in digital contexts, highlighting its significance in social interactions, identity formation, and cultural practices.
The project had two main objectives:
1) Comprehensive study of digital face representations: FACETS aimed to systematically explore new forms of face representation and usage in the digital era. This was achieved through an interdisciplinary approach, combining insights from visual history, semiotics, phenomenology, visual anthropology, and face perception studies. The goal was to understand how digital technologies, such as social media platforms and facial recognition software, are transforming our perceptions and interactions involving faces.
2) Development of quantitative metrics for facial data: Recognizing the vast amount of 'facial big data' circulating online, FACETS sought to create reliable quantitative metrics to analyze this data. By collecting, analyzing, and socially contextualizing large datasets, the project aimed to identify the cultural and technological factors driving changes in face perception and representation.
Through these efforts, FACETS has provided valuable insights into the dynamic role of the human face in digital contexts, highlighting its significance in social interactions, identity formation, and cultural practices.
From its inception, FACETS set out to investigate how the human face is represented, perceived, and utilized in the digital age. Over its duration, the project followed two intertwined research directions: a qualitative exploration of digital face representation and a quantitative approach focused on developing innovative tools to analyze the vast landscape of facial big data.
The first research line systematically mapped how the face is modified, enhanced, and instrumentalized in digital environments. The project examined a broad spectrum of topics, from selfies and social media filters to the ethical and aesthetic implications of deepfakes, digital masks, and AI-generated visages. A particular focus was placed on the role of the face in cybersecurity and the increasing commodification of facial features in algorithm-driven platforms. This inquiry resulted in a comprehensive cartography of the digital face, disseminated through over 150 peer-reviewed publications, including an article in Nature Reports, as well as a series of collective volumes and special issues dedicated to the topic. The project’s extensive dissemination efforts also led to the organization of more than 300 academic presentations across Europe, the Americas, and Asia, culminating in a major international conference in December 2024.
In parallel, the project pursued an ambitious quantitative research track in collaboration with the Polytechnic University of Turin, leading to the creation of FRESCO (Face Representations in E-Societies through Computational Observation). This AI-powered platform provides an unprecedented tool for analyzing large-scale datasets of digital facial images, combining computational techniques with insights from semiotics and visual studies. The project also developed innovative methodologies for facial data anonymization, addressing pressing ethical concerns surrounding the use of biometric information in digital contexts.
Throughout its duration, FACETS responded dynamically to emerging global challenges, most notably the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of generative AI. The project swiftly redirected part of its research to study the profound impact of face masks on digital and physical communication, contributing to scholarly debates on the evolving nature of facial expression and visibility in crisis contexts. Simultaneously, as generative AI technologies began reshaping digital interactions, FACETS expanded its scope to investigate the new risks and possibilities introduced by deepfake technology, synthetic faces, and algorithm-driven identity manipulation.
Beyond academic research, FACETS actively engaged with public audiences, industry stakeholders, and policymakers, ensuring the broad dissemination of its findings. A dedicated YouTube channel featuring over 400 videos made its research accessible to a global audience (65,000 views thus far), while a major public exhibition in Hamburg, organized in collaboration with the Festival Horizonte, brought its themes into public discourse. The project also developed SOFIA, a video game designed to raise awareness about digital facial representation, and launched the EUFACETS Proof of Concept, which led to the creation of SAY (Souls Are Young), an application designed to enhance communication among the elderly through digital facial interaction, in partnership with the Bruno Kessler Foundation and the AI company INJENIA.
The project’s impact is further consolidated by its contributions to academic publishing, including the establishment of a new book series with Routledge ("Advances in Face Studies"), and the open-access publication of _The Hybrid Face_. These outputs, along with numerous high-profile conference presentations and interdisciplinary collaborations, have positioned FACETS as a landmark initiative in the study of digital faciality.
Ultimately, FACETS has transformed the way we understand the role of the face in contemporary society, revealing how its digital representations shape identity, communication, privacy, and aesthetics. By bridging the humanities, social sciences, and computational research, the project has not only advanced scholarly knowledge but also heightened public awareness of the ethical stakes surrounding digital facial technologies, ensuring that these issues remain central to future debates on AI, digital identity, and biometric governance.
The first research line systematically mapped how the face is modified, enhanced, and instrumentalized in digital environments. The project examined a broad spectrum of topics, from selfies and social media filters to the ethical and aesthetic implications of deepfakes, digital masks, and AI-generated visages. A particular focus was placed on the role of the face in cybersecurity and the increasing commodification of facial features in algorithm-driven platforms. This inquiry resulted in a comprehensive cartography of the digital face, disseminated through over 150 peer-reviewed publications, including an article in Nature Reports, as well as a series of collective volumes and special issues dedicated to the topic. The project’s extensive dissemination efforts also led to the organization of more than 300 academic presentations across Europe, the Americas, and Asia, culminating in a major international conference in December 2024.
In parallel, the project pursued an ambitious quantitative research track in collaboration with the Polytechnic University of Turin, leading to the creation of FRESCO (Face Representations in E-Societies through Computational Observation). This AI-powered platform provides an unprecedented tool for analyzing large-scale datasets of digital facial images, combining computational techniques with insights from semiotics and visual studies. The project also developed innovative methodologies for facial data anonymization, addressing pressing ethical concerns surrounding the use of biometric information in digital contexts.
Throughout its duration, FACETS responded dynamically to emerging global challenges, most notably the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of generative AI. The project swiftly redirected part of its research to study the profound impact of face masks on digital and physical communication, contributing to scholarly debates on the evolving nature of facial expression and visibility in crisis contexts. Simultaneously, as generative AI technologies began reshaping digital interactions, FACETS expanded its scope to investigate the new risks and possibilities introduced by deepfake technology, synthetic faces, and algorithm-driven identity manipulation.
Beyond academic research, FACETS actively engaged with public audiences, industry stakeholders, and policymakers, ensuring the broad dissemination of its findings. A dedicated YouTube channel featuring over 400 videos made its research accessible to a global audience (65,000 views thus far), while a major public exhibition in Hamburg, organized in collaboration with the Festival Horizonte, brought its themes into public discourse. The project also developed SOFIA, a video game designed to raise awareness about digital facial representation, and launched the EUFACETS Proof of Concept, which led to the creation of SAY (Souls Are Young), an application designed to enhance communication among the elderly through digital facial interaction, in partnership with the Bruno Kessler Foundation and the AI company INJENIA.
The project’s impact is further consolidated by its contributions to academic publishing, including the establishment of a new book series with Routledge ("Advances in Face Studies"), and the open-access publication of _The Hybrid Face_. These outputs, along with numerous high-profile conference presentations and interdisciplinary collaborations, have positioned FACETS as a landmark initiative in the study of digital faciality.
Ultimately, FACETS has transformed the way we understand the role of the face in contemporary society, revealing how its digital representations shape identity, communication, privacy, and aesthetics. By bridging the humanities, social sciences, and computational research, the project has not only advanced scholarly knowledge but also heightened public awareness of the ethical stakes surrounding digital facial technologies, ensuring that these issues remain central to future debates on AI, digital identity, and biometric governance.
The FACETS project has not only met but exceeded its original objectives. When conceived, digital facial phenomena like AI-generated synthetic faces were nascent. FACETS adapted to these developments, ensuring its findings remained at the forefront of technological and social challenges.
By integrating semiotics, anthropology, cognitive sciences, and AI studies, FACETS created a comprehensive model to analyze how digital technologies reshape the face’s aesthetics, ethics, and functionality. Through FRESCO, an AI platform, it developed new tools to process vast amounts of facial data.
A key achievement of FACETS has been raising awareness about the power and risks of digital facial technologies. AI helps locate missing children, yet biased algorithms can discriminate against non-normative faces, reinforcing exclusion in security systems. The spread of deepfakes introduces new ethical and legal concerns, impacting trust in media, privacy, and identity integrity.
Beyond advancing academic knowledge, FACETS has influenced policy, digital rights, and AI ethics. Its research, publications, and public outreach will continue shaping societal debates. Ultimately, it has shown that the human face is not just a biological given but a cultural and technological construct, urging society to critically assess how we use and protect it in an era of unprecedented exposure and transformation.
By integrating semiotics, anthropology, cognitive sciences, and AI studies, FACETS created a comprehensive model to analyze how digital technologies reshape the face’s aesthetics, ethics, and functionality. Through FRESCO, an AI platform, it developed new tools to process vast amounts of facial data.
A key achievement of FACETS has been raising awareness about the power and risks of digital facial technologies. AI helps locate missing children, yet biased algorithms can discriminate against non-normative faces, reinforcing exclusion in security systems. The spread of deepfakes introduces new ethical and legal concerns, impacting trust in media, privacy, and identity integrity.
Beyond advancing academic knowledge, FACETS has influenced policy, digital rights, and AI ethics. Its research, publications, and public outreach will continue shaping societal debates. Ultimately, it has shown that the human face is not just a biological given but a cultural and technological construct, urging society to critically assess how we use and protect it in an era of unprecedented exposure and transformation.