An AI-powered app developed by University of Dartmouth researchers promises to detect signs of depression using facial recognition software on your smartphone—and may even be able to alert you before you even realize you’re depressed.
The app is called MoodCapture and it uses your phone’s front-facing camera to analyze your emotions. As you use the facial unlock feature throughout the day, the app provides “in-the-moment” analysis to “predict your depression,” Andrew Campbell, a computer scientist at Dartmouth who co-created MoodCapture, told The Daily Beast in an email.
“Mental illness has profound effects on individuals and their families, including my own,” Campbell said. “If we can navigate the challenging issues related to privacy and ethics, a future app like MoodCapture holds the potential to significantly help individuals with depression. When combined with other AI tools, it could provide personalized interventions to help people to function and stay healthy.”
