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missing persons posters with ai

A little AI can go a long way.

When the Amber Alert came out in the 1990s, pictures of missing children on the backs of milk cartons became a thing of the past. But still, we see posters of missing people line telephone polls, grocery store windows and community bulletin boards. And what’s more, they continue to be easily ignored. Perhaps it’s time for another revamp.

Missing People, a London based charity, created digital billboards showing moving 3D portraits rather than static photos. Blinking eyes, head tilts, the works. You remember the double-take you made when you first discovered iPhone’s “live photos”? It feels a bit similar.

Not only that, but each bright pink “poster” has a clear, easily scannable QR code that can be used to spread the word about a missing individual on social media. With its immediacy and global reach, social media has had an ever-growing role in recovering missing persons. Having an easy way to share across social media platforms seems like an obvious improvement already.

This combination of technology and eye-catching visuals is all part of an initiative to get people more engaged in the missing persons search. After all, our fast-paced modern world makes it easy to turn a blind eye to what pops up in our periphery. How many times have you strolled past a traditional missing persons poster before forgetting it the minute you go to TikTok?

You’ll also notice that the words “help find” replace the word “missing.” This too is by design.

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