AI Predicts Career Success From Facial Image

A recent study conducted by researchers from multiple universities claims that AI can predict your career and educational success just by analyzing your face.

Imagine walking into a job interview, and before you even say a word, the AI interviewer bot sizes you up based on your face. Is this judging a book by its cover 2.0? Could it be labeled as discriminatory, or perhaps a step toward “face-ism”?

A recent study conducted by researchers from multiple universities claims that artificial intelligence can predict your career and educational success just by analyzing your face. With all the ethical and scientific debates this is sure to spark, it’s certainly going to be a highly controversial topic.

But how does this even work?

Can AI really discern personality traits and use them to estimate someone’s future accomplishments? And if so, how accurate is it?

Personality Extraction From Face Images

The researchers behind this study developed a system called the Photo Big 5, which extracts personality traits from a single facial image. The Big Five personality traits, also known as OCEAN (Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism), are widely accepted in psychology as key indicators of behavior and success.

• Openness: Associated with curiosity and creativity.

• Conscientiousness: Tied to organization, responsibility, and diligence.

• Extraversion: Reflects sociability and assertiveness.

• Agreeableness: Indicates compassion and cooperativeness.

• Neuroticism: Linked to emotional instability and anxiety.

The AI system was trained using images of 96,000 MBA graduates from top U.S. business schools. By analyzing these images, the AI determined personality profiles and compared them to career outcomes, such as salary, job transitions, and school rankings.

Image from SSRN

What makes this approach interesting is its ability to measure personality traits on a large scale without relying on traditional surveys. This could be huge in hiring and academic admissions.

You can learn more about the technical details here.

How AI Predicts Your Future Success