IBM to stop making facial-recognition tech, wants AI regulated

IBM to terminate making facial-recognition tech, wants AI regulated

(Image credit: metamorworks/Shutterstock)

Calculating giant IBM intends to pull out of the full general-purpose facial-recognition market due to concerns that such technology and its assay software tin lead to racial profiling and discrimination.

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The company revealed the move in an open letter of the alphabet to Congress, in which IBM CEO Arvind Krishna wrote: "IBM no longer offers general purpose IBM facial recognition or analysis software.

"IBM firmly opposes and will not condone uses of any technology, including facial recognition technology offered past other vendors, for mass surveillance, racial profiling, violations of basic human rights and freedoms, or any purpose which is not consequent with our values and Principles of Trust and Transparency.

"Now is the time to begin a national dialogue on whether and how facial recognition technology should be employed by domestic police force enforcement agencies."

Abusing the technology

Krishna as well called for greater scrutiny of bogus-intelligence technology, admitting that while AI has useful applications in police enforcement, vendors and users of this technology must ensure information technology's not abused.

He said: "Artificial Intelligence is a powerful tool that can help law enforcement go along citizens safe.

"But vendors and users of Al systems have a shared responsibility to ensure that Al is tested for bias, particularity when used in constabulary enforcement, and that such bias testing is audited and reported."

Krishna wants to see engineering science used for improving transparency and accountability in law enforcement.

He added: "Finally, national policy too should encourage and advance uses of technology that bring greater transparency and accountability to policing, such as body cameras and modern information analytics techniques."

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Nicholas Fearn is a freelance engineering journalist and copywriter from the Welsh valleys. His work has appeared in publications such as the FT, the Independent, the Daily Telegraph, The Next Web, T3, Android Key, Computer Weekly, and many others. He also happens to be a diehard Mariah Carey fan!