Chinese search giant Baidu has signed a strategic partnership with Beijing Capital International Airport, the world’s second largest airport by passengers, to provide smart and automated management solutions to the latter.
Under the deal, Baidu is now running tests of its AI-based facial recognition solutions at the control centers of the airport, mainly for staff admission and data monitoring. This means the testing is only being used for the ground crew. But if everything goes well, it is highly possible that Baidu’s facial recognition technology would go further for support boarding passes, baggage claim or other scenarios of passenger ID verification.
In recent years, Baidu has taken AI as its strategic focus, of which facial recognition is a major unit. Its technology is being applied in several physical deployments from verifying visitor’s identities in Chinese tourist spot of Wuzhen to facilitating checking in and boarding processes for travelers at Nanyang Jiangying Airport of Henan Province.
Facial recognition technology is taking over airports globally. London’s Heathrow Airport has introduced facial recognition-based border control technology earlier this year. The US government has rolled out a plan to reshape airport security around facial recognition.
Aside from face recognition, the company introduced that the tie-up may incorporate partnership in more diversified areas from indoor navigation, smart parking and passenger credit management.