Promising Future, Complex Past: Artificial Intelligence and the Legacy of Physiognomy

Published Jul 01, 2025 by
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Laupus Library is currently hosting the traveling exhibition “Promising Future, Complex Past: Artificial Intelligence and the Legacy of Physiognomy.” Developed by the National Library of Medicine, this exhibit presents the history of physiognomy, the belief that a person’s physical appearance is indicative of their character and examines its lasting impact on modern technologies in artificial intelligence and computer science that analyze bodily data (National Library of Medicine, 2025).

An illustration showing two side-by-side images; the left image depicts a man with a beard, and the right image depicts a detailed drawing of a lion's head with a mane.

Excerpt from De humana physiognomonia libri IIII (Of human physiognomy book 4), Giabattista della Porta, 1586 (National Library of Medicine)

Although it is now regarded as pseudoscience, physiognomy was once considered legitimate and its popularity spanned over a millennium, influencing the fields of medicine, biology, philosophy, anthropology, psychiatry, and criminology. After serving as a tool for scientific racism and eugenics, physiognomy was roundly discredited in the 20th century (National Library of Medicine, 2025).

A vintage illustration showing ten different anthropometric measurements being taken on individuals, including length of head, width of head, left middle finger, left foot, height, length of right ear, length of the trunk, left forearm, outstretched arms, and color of the eyes.

The identification of criminals…, Charles Felton, 1889 (National Library of Medicine)

Despite its credibility being denounced, there is still an urge to draw conclusions from anatomy through artificial intelligence algorithms trained on large datasets. This includes positive applications such as security and surveillance, including facial recognition and biomedical research. With the positive uses of AI, there remains a need to ensure accuracy, mitigate bias, and protect privacy.

To learn more about physiognomy and its relationship to artificial intelligence, stop by the Evelyn Fike Laupus Gallery, 4th floor Laupus Library from June 30th to August 2nd, 2025.