Face recognition algorithm tracks candidate TV coverage in real time

Verso's facial recognition algorithms have been used to monitor politicians' TV coverage on major networks, offering a real time percentage of screen share.

We recently saw how the emotional content of left and right wing media outlets can be gauged to offer an overview of the political atmosphere, and now a Russian startup is aiming to show how political figures’ TV footage compares during real time events.

Verso has demonstrated the power of it’s software by tracking world leaders’ appearances across major TV networks in real time, most recently showing how coverage varied for both candidates throughout the US Presidential debates. Highly sensitive algorithms are able to detect faces with 99-percent accuracy, even when the subject’s face is blurred or turned away from camera. Verso then turns coverage into relative percentage points, offering a ranking of how much screen time each candidate is receiving. Verso are offering open access to their API, which can also be applied to YouTube videos and other social media.

How else could users gain an unbiased overview of elections?