Is facial recognition technology racist?

Concerns are expressed over Amazon face ID system that confused 28 members of the US Congress with police suspects

A teacher uses a machine which employs both fingerprint and facial recognition technology to check the identification of a student before a simulated college entrance exam in Handan in China'
(Image credit: This content is subject to copyright.)

Facial recognition technology is an increasingly common part of modern life, used for everything from unlocking iPhones to advanced surveillance technology. But concerns are being raised that face ID technology can exhibit racial biases and this has potentially serious ramifications.

Commercial face recognition software has repeatedly been shown to be “less accurate” on people with darker skin, writes Gizmodo. Civil rights advocates worry about the “disturbingly targeted” ways face-scanning can be used by police.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up