News

Belgian Artist Creates Instagram Surveillance Tool

The latest project from artist Dries Depoorter is called “The Follower”, and it’s a frightening glimpse into the world of public surveillance.

Published

3 years ago

September 22, 2022

Nour Nasir

belgian artist creates instagram surveillance tool

Twitter (@DriesDepoorter)

How often have you or your friends posed for an Instagram photo in public? Whether you’re on vacation or fooling around outside your favorite restaurant, we’re guessing the answer is most likely “a lot”. Well, if that’s the case, you might just end up as a subject in artist Dries Depoorter’s latest project, called “The Follower”.

The sinister-sounding creation was born after Depoorter noticed someone taking a lot of public Instagram shots:

“One day, I saw a person taking photos for like 20 minutes, and I was trying to find them on Instagram a day later without much success. That’s when I started building the software,” says Depoorter.

Thanks to the facial recognition software built by Depoorter, which crawls through footage from open webcams live streaming in public spaces, he quickly found a video of the Instagrammer in question when he posted shots onto the Meta-owned platform later that day.

The project is a fascinating (and terrifying) glimpse into how much information can be gathered using modern software — especially as the artist only had access to publicly available cameras. Depoorter’s work highlights the sheer scale of the world’s surveillance network and the enormous volumes of data we give away daily for AI bots to analyze.

Also Read: How To Permanently Delete Your Instagram Account

Depoorter has a history of projects like “The Follower”. In 2021, he created a similar piece of software that scanned the live streams of Flemish government meetings, using AI to search for politicians scrolling through their smartphones out of apparent boredom. The project was known as “The Flemish Scrollers” and automatically tagged the targets via Twitter.

As Depoorter points out, he isn’t the only one with access to these cameras, and it’s genuinely scary to imagine the surveillance tools the world’s government agencies have at their disposal. Next time you take selfies in a public place, check over your shoulder — you might be being watched!

News

Yango Enhances Yasmina AI For Improved Conversations

The tech company has upgraded its AI assistant to deliver enhanced creativity, deeper conversations, and advanced bilingual translation.

Published

4 days ago

June 12, 2025

Nour Nasir

Yango

Global technology company Yango Group has announced a significant upgrade to the large language model (LLM) powering its AI assistant, Yasmina. This enhancement allows Yasmina to deliver more accurate, nuanced, and context-aware responses in Arabic and English, improving interactions and user experience across the Middle East region.

The upgrade is part of a phased rollout of YangoAI, the company’s suite of advanced AI technologies specifically adapted to regional needs. As a result, Yasmina now offers 38% more accurate and timely responses in Arabic, made possible by an enhanced ability to analyze web documents. Additionally, unnecessary answer refusals have been reduced by almost 50%, ensuring smoother and more engaging conversational experiences.

One of the most notable new capabilities of Yasmina is its expanded bilingual translation skill. The improved assistant empowers bilingual users, educators, language learners, and content creators to seamlessly translate conversations between Arabic and English, facilitating better communication and understanding.

Beyond translation, Yasmina can now provide highly contextual recommendations for everyday activities and lifestyle choices. Users seeking personalized suggestions — for instance, how to spend a day in Dubai exploring both modern and traditional attractions — will experience enhanced clarity and precision from the assistant.

The assistant’s upgraded functionality also aids users with tasks such as real-time currency conversion, homework support that encourages independent thinking, creative brainstorming, poetry and storytelling, and even providing riddles suitable for children.

Also Read: ALJ & Joby Aviation To Bring Electric Air Taxis To Saudi Arabia

“With more precise and culturally aware responses, along with additional skills, Yasmina’s latest upgrade positions it as a trusted everyday companion,” said Rami Abu Arja, Senior Innovation Marketing Manager at Yasmina, Yango Middle East. “From creative storytelling to translation, we are enriching lives with human-centered AI and making innovation more accessible to all. As the region embraces digital transformation, we continue to enhance our AI assistant, aiming to make it even more helpful, versatile, and relevant”.

YangoAI’s continuous training on region-specific data ensures that Yasmina and other Yango services authentically reflect local culture and user expectations across the Middle East.