Computers are one of the best inventions ever made by humans because they have enabled everybody around the world to connect to the Internet. The Internet fuels most peoples lives because of the sheer amount of accessible information about anything and everything. However, should we let computers start making their own decisions? Thomas Huang is the creator of a computer software that allows computesr to read human emotions using 3-D modeling and analyzing muscle movements in the face. At first glance, this appears to be an interesting concept, but there could be several downsides to this type of invention such as overall practicality, implementation in today's society, and even safety and security issues.

First of all, is a software that can read our emotions actually useful? There is potential for this type of software to be used on people for occasions such as a interrogation where the suspect could be lying and the software could detect a quivering lip. On the other hand, this type of software is most likely not going to make it into the homes of the people which presents a business problem. Their solution is to introduce the software into schools to be used for enhancing the learning experience. Dr Huang describes how computers in the classroom could "recognize when a student is becoming confused or bored...then it could modify the lesson, like an effective human instuctor" resulting in a better learning environment for the student. The issue is, not every student needs this, and many will prbably disagree with having this software implemented in their school. So, this type of computer software has few areas that it will probably be used causing it to be less practical than it originally seems.

Secondly, how will FACS (Facial Action Coding System) be implemented into a society that is normally unwilling to new changes regarding their technology? People want improvements, but they don't want change. For example, when an application has an update most people update it without giving it a second thought because the newer it is the more likely it will be "better" than the previous version. But, when a new phone comes out with plenty of changes people are skeptical and wait for their friend to buy it before they consider purchasing one themselves. So, as a result, people will most likely be skeptical of a software that is able to read emotions because it is something new and no one has any experiences with it yet. This causes FACS to seem like a software that won't be implemented or at least widespread for a long time.

Lastly, will the common person feel like their privacy is being invaded with this new software? For FACS to work the user must have a camera or some kind of scanning device that is able to detect individual muscles. A highly accurate scanning device in the common home will most definitely scare some people out of having this type of software. For example, some people believe that they are already watched through their smartphone camera even though they don't have any form of evidence of such actions taking place. A natural fear of invasion of privacy is part of human nature and cannot be changed. In paragrpah seven D'Alto, the author, mentions that FACS can detect a fake and a real smile which only solidifies the softwares scanning precision. What if someone was talking with their boss using their computer and they lied to protect their job? Although this kind of action should result in that person being punished or fired FACS could use the camera on the computer to see that they were lying and report it to the person's boss or company. Now, this situation is impractical and hopefully it never happens, but the idea that FACS has the ability to use a camera in the home to do whatever they want is scary and will drive people away from using it.

In conclusion, FACS will probably be used for specific tasks only, but it is interesting to ponder the potential for similar softwares in the future. The main problem that Dr. Huang will face is trying to show the people the trustworthiness of the product. If there is too much skepticism from the people it simply won't be found around the world and rather only in more secluded places such as labs or research facilities for testing purposes. In the future, other softwares will be created and maybe they will have the potential to impact the world in influential, innovative, and successful ways.