A cryptographic tag developed at MIT uses terahertz waves to authenticate items by recognizing the unique pattern of microscopic metal particles that are mixed into the glue that sticks the tag to the item’s surface.

TL;DR MIT researchers have developed an antitampering ID tag that is tiny, cheap, and secure. It is several times smaller and significantly cheaper than the traditional radio frequency tags that are used to verify product authenticity. The tags use glue containing microscopic metal particles. This glue forms unique patterns that can be detected using terahertz waves. The system uses AI to compare glue patterns and calculate their similarity. The tags could be used to authenticate items too small for traditional RFIDs.

  • lolcatnipEnglish
    35·
    4 months ago

    I wish I could ban the term “AI” from public discourse.

      • lolcatnipEnglish
        27·
        4 months ago

        My problem is that “AI” is an overly broad term that leads people to conflate very different technologies. I just want people to use more specific language.

        • lando55@lemmy.worldEnglish
          10·
          4 months ago

          There’s a corporate initiative where I work that we’re going to offer AI in 2024. When I politely asked to expound on that, I was met with blank stares.

          Like motherfucker do you realize even MS Teams uses AI for meeting transcription

          • uis@lemm.eeEnglish
            4·
            4 months ago

            Machine learning: we don’t know how it works AI: we don’t want you to know how it works

        • hark@lemmy.world
          English
          5·
          4 months ago

          Exactly. They might as well write “magic” since it’s about as descriptive.