I think it is valuable to learn about the history of computer vision, especially when considering the ways in which it affects our everyday lives. CAPCHA has been used since the 90s to prevent computers from doing human things online such as open accounts and buy things. In the last couple years however, Computers have become so good at processing images, that these tests have become obsolete. As a result, CAPCHA has had to innovate and develop new methods of getting passed computers. (If you are curious about this, check out episode 908 of the podcast, Planet Money, titled “I Am Not A Robot.”
Computer vision on its own is a powerful tool, and as the article discusses, can be used for many applications from interactive artwork to measuring human reactions. When used in combination with machine learning however, a whole new world of applications opens up. It gives hackers new ways to grab information, and researchers have been able to use it to analyze the content of millions of posts on social media. In this way, it is at the cutting edge of computer technology today.
But despite all the fancy applications, computer vision is just cool. There is something magical about being able to interact with a computer with only motion.