E854 Brian Brakeen Kairos: facial recognition, $30m token, future of AI, why he won't sell to police

TL;DR

Facial recognition startup, Kairos, is focusing on the enterprise space while advocating for responsible and ethical use of the technology.

Transcript

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Key Insights

• 😒 The use of facial recognition technology is not yet accurate enough for government use, and regulation is necessary to protect privacy and prevent misuse.
• 🌐 The ICO craze demonstrated the global interest in investing in startups, as international angel investors participated in the funding round.
• 😘 Miami offers advantages for startups, such as lower costs and longer employee retention, but it can still be challenging to raise growth capital in the city.
• 😒 The future of facial recognition technology lies in ethical and responsible use, with considerations for diversity, training data, and regulation.

Questions & Answers

Q: Why does Kairos avoid selling its technology to the police?

The company believes that the technology is not yet accurate enough for government use, and there are concerns about misidentification and potential misuse.

Q: Is Kairos profitable?

While the company is not yet profitable, it is working towards profitability with the current funding round.

Q: What are the challenges faced by African-American founders in raising capital?

African-American founders still face challenges in raising growth capital, despite progress in the early-stage funding scene. It can be harder for them to access larger funding rounds.

Q: How does Kairos charge for its services?

Kairos charges based on usage, either per transaction or through monthly fees, depending on whether the service is used in the cloud or on-premise.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Kairos is a facial recognition company that specializes in the enterprise space, providing solutions for theme parks, retailers, banks, and blockchain companies.

• The company has processed over a billion faces and has 70,000 customers using its product.

• They are also working on emotional detection and multi-face detection, as well as exploring use cases in the entertainment industry.