Recent research suggests that the uniqueness of our fingerprints, a fundamental tenet of forensic science, may not be as absolute as previously believed. Published in the journal Science Advances, the study utilized an artificial intelligence (AI) model commonly employed in facial recognition. Researchers configured the AI to identify patterns and features in fingerprints that might elude human observation.
According to the study, the AI demonstrated the ability to determine whether fingerprints from different fingers belonged to the same individual with an accuracy ranging from 75 to 90 percent. Study co-author Hod Lipson, a roboticist at Columbia University, emphasized that the AI diverged from traditional forensic markers, raising questions about the long-standing practices in the field.
The AI model underwent training on a database containing 60,000 fingerprints, surpassing the conventional minutiae—distinctive features relied upon by detectives for centuries. Instead, the AI focused on the angles and curvatures of the central swirls, potentially enabling the linking of fingerprints across various crime scenes to a single person.
Lead author Gabe Guo, a senior undergraduate at Columbia University, asserted that the AI’s approach could not only aid in apprehending criminals but also protect innocent individuals from unnecessary investigations. However, their claims have encountered resistance from forensic scientists, a field in which the research team lacked prior expertise.
Professor Simon Cole, a critic of the study and an expert in criminology, law, and society at the University of California, acknowledged the findings’ interest but argued that they neither represent a groundbreaking revelation nor disprove existing forensic techniques. While acknowledging the similarities in fingerprints, he maintained that the claim that no two fingerprints are exactly alike remains unchallenged.
Despite skepticism, Guo remains firm in the belief that their findings are incontrovertible. He anticipates that AI will bring about revolutionary changes not only in fingerprint analysis but also in various other fields of study.
