AI System Uses Standard WiFi Signals to Identify People With High Accuracy
Similar Articles
AI Systems Emerge to Assist Scientists in Hypothesis Development and Testing
AI-Generated Personas Can Influence Online Communities and Elections, Researchers Warn
Brain-Controlled Hearing Aid Shows Promise for Isolating Voices in Crowds
AI Models Accelerate Bug Discovery Across Major Software Systems
Mozilla Details AI Tool That Found 271 Firefox Security Flaws in Two Months
Researchers in Germany have demonstrated a system that uses ordinary wireless signals and artificial intelligence to identify individuals with nearly 100% accuracy, even without an active device on their person. The technology works with standard WiFi hardware and could turn every router into a potential surveillance tool. The researchers are calling for stronger privacy protections to be included in upcoming wireless standards.
Facts First
- Identifies individuals with nearly 100% accuracy using standard WiFi signals, even without an active device
- Works with ordinary WiFi hardware found in homes and businesses, unlike previous specialized systems
- Uses unencrypted beamforming feedback information (BFI) transmitted regularly from devices to routers
- Could turn every router into a potential surveillance tool, allowing identification in places like cafés
- Researchers are calling for stronger privacy protections in the upcoming IEEE 802.11bf WiFi standard
What Happened
Researchers from KASTEL – KIT's Institute of Information Security and Dependability have developed a system that uses artificial intelligence (AI) and standard wireless signals to identify people. The system creates an image of surroundings and persons by observing the propagation of radio waves, similar to how a camera uses light waves. It functions even if a person's smartphone is turned off, as nearby wireless devices connected to the network generate enough signal activity. The new technique utilizes beamforming feedback information (BFI), which is data sent regularly from devices on a wireless network to the router. This data is transmitted without encryption, meaning anyone within range can potentially read it. In tests involving 197 participants, the system identified individuals with nearly 100% accuracy, regardless of viewing angle or walking style.
Why this Matters to You
This technology could turn the WiFi router in your home or business, and those in public spaces like cafés, into a potential means for surveillance. You could be identified without your knowledge, even if your personal device is turned off. Intelligence agencies and cybercriminals currently use other methods to monitor people, and this new system provides a more accessible and potentially widespread tool. The researchers are calling for safeguards, which suggests there is an opportunity to build protections into the technology before it becomes commonplace.
What's Next
The research team plans to present their findings at the ACM Conference on Computer and Communications Security (CCS) in Taipei. The researchers are calling for stronger privacy protections and safeguards to be included in the upcoming IEEE 802.11bf WiFi standard, which could shape how this technology is regulated and deployed.