Facial Recognition Controversy

The Verge, Independent, Seattle Times: AI Now Institute consisting of Microsoft, Google and New York University employees publishes "AI Now Report 2018" talking about dangers of facial recognition for society. The group calls on governments to regulate the use of AI and facial recognition technologies before they can undermine basic civil liberties.

Microsoft President Brad Smith posted a similar message in the company's blog:

"We believe it’s important for governments in 2019 to start adopting laws to regulate this technology. The facial recognition genie, so to speak, is just emerging from the bottle. Unless we act, we risk waking up five years from now to find that facial recognition services have spread in ways that exacerbate societal issues. By that time, these challenges will be much more difficult to bottle back up.

After substantial discussion and review, we have decided to adopt six principles to manage these issues at Microsoft. We are sharing these principles now, with a commitment and plans to implement them by the end of the first quarter in 2019."

ACLU: Department of Homeland Security published details of a U.S. Secret Service plan to test the use of facial recognition in and around the White House. The ultimate goal seems to be to give the Secret Service the ability to track “subjects of interest” in public spaces.

Voice of America, KCRA: Atlanta International Airport, which is the Delta Airlines hub, has become the first in the US to permit passengers to use facial recognition technology to get on flights. After the first check-in, passengers can also use face recognition to pass through security and to get on the plane. Delta says the system prevents the need for travelers to present their passport up to four times during the usual check-in process.

Singapore's Changi airport, Amsterdam's Schiphol, and Aruba International Airport already offer biometric check-in and boarding capability at some gates and terminals. Airports in Japan are rolling out facial recognition boarding facilities at several airports this year. China's Hongqiao International Airport is also using facial recognition for security screening. London's Heathrow plans to start testing an end-to-end facial recognition program next year.

FedScoop: A recent NIST research says that facial recognition accuracy has improved dramatically over the last 5 years:

"The technology has undergone an “industrial revolution” that’s made certain algorithms about 20 times better at searching databases and finding matches."