Chinese facial recognition can now identify people wearing masks

Chinese companies specialising in facial recognition have upgraded the technology to identify people wearing masks in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. Chinese company SenseTime, described as'the most valuable AI startup in the world' and worth at least $4.5billion, is one of several firms improving its facial recognition to ensure a person cna be identified without them taking off their mask. Instead of relying on having to see a person's mouth, the system is able to learn a person's identify from just their eyes and upper nose region of their face. People around the world are increasingly opting to wear medical masks and even respirators to prevent catching the potentially fatal COVID-19. The disease has claimed the lives of more than 2,700 people around the world and infected a total of around 80,000.