SYDNEY, July 24 (Xinhua) -- A team of researchers at the University of Melbourne in Australia have developed the world's first artificial intelligence (AI) system that can detect and display personality traits of a subject simply by analyzing a photograph.

Unveiled on Tuesday, the system called "Biometric Mirror" works by comparing the user's data with thousands of other facial images in it's database.

The data set that biometric mirror uses is based on crowdsourced feedback on people's facial appearance, project leader Dr Niels Wouters from the University of Melbourne's Centre for Social Natural User Interfaces said.

The system captures demographic information such as age and gender but it also captures psychometric data such as people's degree of attractiveness, degree of responsibility and degree of emotional stability, Wouters added.

But according to Wouters, the analysis of 14 characteristics is not intended to be used a psychological tool.

Researchers designed the system to further the debate around AI technology and the potential benefits and dangers it may bring.

"Image that someone is considered to be highly emotionally unstable and as a result are automatically excluded from management positions," Wouters said.

"With the rise of AI and big data, government and businesses will increasingly use CCTV cameras and interactive advertising to detect emotions, age, gender and demographics of people passing by," he added.

"Our study aims to provoke challenging questions about the boundaries of AI."