While 2015 may not look like "Back to the Future's" 2015, the number of sci-fi-esque tech developments continue to rise. One particular film that comes up again and again is "Minority Report." While Spielberg probably didn't intend for his film to predict future tech, the parallels between "Minority Report's" technology and our own keep appearing.
The latest example of this was a small development by Microsoft.
In a blog post titled "2015: The Year of On-Demand, Personalized Shopping", Microsoft announced the various ways that companies across America were using new tech to make the experience as enjoyable as possible. The most interesting statement was how retailers could use their tech to interact with customers.
According to Microsoft, retailers could use the company's Xbox peripheral Kinect alongside the NEC Biometric interface to gather data about consumers. If a customer walks in, the Kinect would recognize them, gather any usable data from a demographic database, then customize the experience to their needs. The Kinect will transfer information to any store-based devices, such as a shopping interface or cart-mounted table.
While this does sound interesting, it also has a creepy vibe.
Microsoft's Kinect recommendation sounds eerily like the Gap scene from "Minority Report," where a Gap store recognized Tom Cruise's character via his irises. In order to avoid detection, Cruise had to change out his eyeballs. While the situation was emphasized to have a creepy effect by the filmmakers, it reflects some of the worries consumers may have about a company implementing tech like this.
For example, what if a person doesn't want to be recognized by Kinect, or the data doesn't fit their needs? What is the demographic data's source? How much information is needed to effectively serve the needs of an individual in such a circumstance? It's not clear how a retailer who used such an option would answer.
At the moment, Microsoft has not announced any plans to incorporate Kinect into their retail stores. It's just a suggestion. But if any company does adopt this tech, it may open the door to some intriguing, yet troubling, shopping practices.
