In a groundbreaking revelation, artificial intelligence (AI) has defied conventional wisdom about the uniqueness of fingerprints. A recent study led by Gabe Guo, an undergraduate senior at Columbia University, exposes the surprising similarity between fingerprints from different fingers of the same person, challenging long-standing beliefs in forensic science.

Traditionally, fingerprints have been considered unique, forming the basis for biometric identification. However, using a custom-built AI model called a deep contrastive network, the research team discovered that fingerprints from different fingers of an individual share strong similarities. The AI focused on the angles and curvatures at the center of the fingerprint, rather than the minutiae traditionally used in fingerprint matching.

The study, published in the journal Science Advances, involved training the AI on a dataset of 60,000 publicly available fingerprints. Contrary to expert expectations, the AI achieved 77% accuracy in identifying fingerprints from the same person. The researchers believe that, with a larger training dataset, accuracy could be further improved.

The implications of this discovery challenge the fundamental principles of forensic analysis. Gabe Guo suggests that this revelation could offer new leads in cold criminal cases and reduce unnecessary investigations into innocent individuals. The study proposes a shift in forensic methodology, emphasizing the potential of AI to uncover hidden patterns that have eluded human experts for decades.

Despite the groundbreaking nature of the research, the forensics community initially rejected the findings, citing the well-established belief that each fingerprint is unique. However, the persistence of the research team led to the acceptance of their work in Science Advances.

Hod Lipson, a professor at Columbia Engineering, emphasizes the broader impact of the study, stating, “This isn’t just about forensics; it’s about AI. Humans have been looking at fingerprints since we existed, but nobody ever noticed this similarity until we had our AI analyze it. This begs the question, What other things are hiding literally right in front of our eyes, waiting to be discovered by AI?”

The study marks a significant milestone in the intersection of AI and forensic science, challenging existing paradigms and paving the way for AI-led scientific discovery. As technology advances, it prompts a reevaluation of long-standing beliefs across various fields, demonstrating the transformative power of AI in uncovering hidden patterns.

The study is published in the journal Science Advances.