New Software Knows If You’re Lying

What’s the Latest Development?

New computer software that tracks an individual’s eye movement can identify if that person is lying or not with 82.5 percent accuracy, say University of Buffalo researchers who tested the technology. In an experiment, 40 individuals were given the opportunity to steal a check made out to a organization they opposed. Afterwards, subjects sat with a retired law enforcement officer who began by asking unrelated questions to establish baseline eye movement. Then, the computer software analysed eye movement during questions about the crime. 

What’s the Big Idea?

The software’s success rate of 82.5 percent is significantly higher than the 65 percent success rate of experienced law-enforcement investigators. In the next phase of their research, the scientists plan to increase the sample size and develop software that examines the movement of the entire body, not only the eyes. Professional investigators have pointed out that the study was conducted in laboratory setting but that police interviews occur mostly in the confusion of a suspected crime, in the street and after dark.

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