The app was given free of charge to potential investors and friends of the company, including billionaires, Silicon Valley investors, and celebrities. Despite the app's potential, many investors were put off by the founders' controversial pasts and the company's ties to controversial figures. However, the company managed to raise over a million dollars from a diverse group of investors. The article concludes by noting that Clearview AI found its ideal customer in the New York Police Department.
Key takeaways:
- Clearview AI, a startup, has developed a facial recognition app that has scraped 3 billion faces from various websites without consent. The app can identify individuals from a photo and provide links to their online presence.
- Despite the controversial nature of the app, it has attracted investment from wealthy individuals and has been used by police departments around the world.
- The company's founders, Richard Schwartz and Hoan Ton-That, faced numerous rejections from investors due to their controversial pasts and the potential legal challenges the company could face.
- Despite these challenges, the company managed to raise over a million dollars from various investors, including venture capitalist David Scalzo, who was impressed by the technology and saw its potential for widespread use.