To mark Testicular Cancer Awareness Month this April, the Testicular Cancer Society has partnered with FP7McCann to launch ‘I See Balls’, the world’s first AR lens that uses AI to … read moretransform everyday, accidentally phallic-shaped objects into life-saving health tools. From cactuses to vegetables, the lens detects objects that resemble male anatomy and overlays a medically accurate, step-by-step guide for performing a testicular self-exam. What started as an internet joke is now a powerful early detection tool, turning censorship into creativity, and instinct into action. The idea was born from a growing contradiction. While 42% of men aged 15–35, the group most at risk, rely on social media for medical advice (World Economic Forum), platform algorithms often can’t distinguish between testicular cancer education and explicit content. As a result, important health information frequently gets blocked. In June 2024, Meta removed a Facebook infographic demonstrating how to perform a self-exam, requiring a formal appeal just to have it reinstated. Even a simple search for “testicles” on Instagram triggers the warning: “We’ve hidden most results for your search because they may contain sensitive content.” And the content that does get through? It’s usually dry, clinical, and easily ignored. Meanwhile, the internet is overflowing with unintentional phallic imagery, silly but instantly recognisable. These familiar shapes have long fuelled shared laughter, even inspiring the viral subreddit /mildlypenis, where users post everyday objects that resemble male anatomy. Instead of fighting the AI filters, I See Balls embraces the absurdity. The team trained their own AI on thousands of these organic images, everything from buildings and shadows to scoops of ice cream, so the lens can spot phallic patterns and overlay a simple, animated tutorial on how to perform a testicular self-check.
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