New Balance will be using artificial intelligence technology on the first day of New York Fashion Week, Sept. 6, to spot people who are wearing garments that make them stand out from the crowd. The sneaker brand will do it through Real Time Exception Spotting, a computer vision technology that scans the crowd and gathers data which enable it to obtain an aesthetic average. The technology collects information about colors, shapes, patterns, styles and accessories. By processing these data, it then pinpoints the exceptions to the norm. New Balance stressed that it will not be using facial recognition, nor will it collect or store personal data of the participants. Anyone who is spotted as different from the norm will be shown on a live digital outdoor display, and will be offered a pair of the brand's new Fresh Foam Cruz Nubuck shoe, a foam-cushioned slip-on with nubuck leather detailing. New Balance plans to organize other Real Time Exception Spotting events in Toronto, Stockholm and Madrid later in September and October.

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