A screenshot of CCTV's special interview of the AI-empowered photo restoration technology. [Photo provided to chinaopticsvalley.com]

At the Software Institute of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, young individuals are using AI to provide technical support for families searching for their missing children. So far, they have helped 11 missing children reunite with their families.

Using AI to restore photos of missing children originated in 2020. The team leader of the AI Baby Volunteer Service Team, Sheng Jianzhong, who was still a Ph.D. student then, came across a missing person's post that included a particularly blurry photo.

"With such a photo, the child might be right beside someone, but they wouldn't be able to recognize them. As I'm studying digital image processing, I thought about the possible use of the technology to help parents restore clear images," said Sheng.

However, developing the image restoration algorithm required building an extensive database. Many classmates, inspired by Sheng's efforts, voluntarily joined in, writing code and testing algorithms.

After six months of intensive research and development, Sheng and the team finally developed an AI algorithm for image restoration, with which a blurry portrait photo can be restored with improved clarity and resolution of facial features. Parents of missing children can then print the restored photo on clothes or create large display posters.

Sheng and the volunteers also work with public security agencies and general welfare organizations. They produce adhesive tapes featuring the restored photos to be used on packages for shipping, calling for social assistance in missing children's searching activities.

The AI Baby Volunteer Service Team founded Wuhan Wukongyou Artificial Intelligence Application Software Co, based in the East Lake High-tech Development Zone (Optics Valley of China, or OVC).