Facial Recognition
What is facial recognition and how does it work?
Facial recognition pros
As a relatively new technology, we're still understanding the pros and cons of facial recognition for everyday people. Here are some of the main advantages:
● Fly safer: Airports use facial recognition to identify criminals or potential threats.
● Identify criminals: Facial recognition can identify suspects from photos or videos.
● Find missing persons: Missing persons have been identified using facial recognition technology.
● Keep your phone secure: Many phones today use facial recognition to unlock or verify your identity before purchasing. Facial recognition cons It’s important to understand the limits of facial recognition AI. For example, Randal Reid was arrested and jailed for a week in 2022 after being falsely identified by facial recognition technology. He had never even been to Louisiana, where the crime occurred.
Facial Recognition Cons
● Mistaken identity: Relying on facial recognition alone can lead to falsely identifying criminal suspects. ● Inaccuracies with older adults: Facial recognition becomes less accurate when people age.
● Racial and gender bias: Studies have shown that facial recognition is less effective in identifying people of color and women.
● It can be tricked: Wearing a mask, sunglasses, or even certain makeup can make facial recognition less accurate.
● It can violate privacy: Many critics worry that facial recognition is one more erosion of personal privacy. With more accurate algorithms, it’s becoming more of a risk that someone can take a photo of you in public and use AI to find more information.
● It poses security risks: Your facial data can be collected and stored, often without your permission. Hackers could access and steal that data.
● There are potential ownership issues: You may have given up your right to ownership over images of your face when you agreed to social media privacy policies.
From: What is facial recognition and how does it work? (Clare Stouffer, Norton, 2023)
Racial Discrimination in Face Recognition Technology (Alex Najibi, Harvard’s Science in the News, 2020):
Police use face recognition to compare suspects’ photos to mugshots and driver’s license images; it is estimated that almost half of American adults– over 117 million people, as of 2016 – have photos within a facial recognition network used by law enforcement. This participation occurs without consent, or even awareness, and is bolstered by a lack of legislative oversight. More disturbingly, however, the current implementation of these technologies involves significant racial bias, particularly against Black Americans.
Face recognition struggles to recognize us after five years of ageing (Matthew Sparkes, New Scientist, 2022):
As we age, our faces change, becoming slowly different from images used for facial recognition– so new photos may be needed more frequently to maintain accuracy and security.
Police surveillance and facial recognition: Why data privacy is imperative for communities of color (Nicol Turner Lee and Caitlin Chin-Rothmann, Brookings Institution, 2022):
In this paper, we present the case for stronger federal privacy protections with proscriptive guardrails for the public and private sectors to mitigate the high risks that are associated with the development and procurement of surveillance technologies. We also discuss the role of federal agencies in addressing the purposes and uses of facial recognition and other monitoring tools under their jurisdiction, as well as increased training for state and local law enforcement agencies to prevent the unfair or inaccurate profiling of people of color. We conclude the paper with a series of proposals that lean either toward clear restrictions on the use of surveillance technologies in certain contexts, or greater accountability and oversight mechanisms, including audits, policy interventions, and more inclusive technical designs.
Clearview AI scraped 30 billion images from Facebook and other social media sites and gave them to cops: it puts everyone into a 'perpetual police line-up' (Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert, Business Insider, 2023):
A controversial facial recognition database, used by police departments across the nation, was built in part with 30 billion photos the company scraped from Facebook and other social media users without their permission, the company's CEO recently admitted, creating what critics called a "perpetual police line-up," even for people who haven't done anything wrong.
Face Recognition: Privacy Concerns and Social Benefits (Jacob Gannon, Security Informed, 2024):
What are the facts about face recognition? Which side is right? Well, there is no definitive answer because, as with all powerful tools, it all depends on who uses it. Face recognition can, in fact, be used in an immoral or controversial manner. But, it can also be immensely beneficial in providing a safe and secure atmosphere for those in its presence.
Exploring the Impact of AI on Facial Recognition Technology (Fredrik Filipsson, Redress Compliance, 2024):
The Potential Impact on Society
As AI-powered facial recognition technology advances, its impact on society is twofold. On the one hand, it promises enhanced security, convenience, and personalization, potentially making our social interactions and daily transactions smoother and more secure. On the other hand, the widespread adoption of facial recognition raises profound questions about privacy and the nature of public spaces. It necessitates a societal dialogue on the values we wish to uphold and the kind of technological future we envision. The key to navigating these future directions lies in striking a balance between leveraging AI’s benefits in facial recognition and safeguarding individual rights and freedoms. Ethical guidelines, transparent practices, and inclusive policies will be essential in shaping a future where facial recognition technology serves the greater good, enhancing our lives while respecting our privacy and dignity.