AI can be trained to recognise patterns and objects, and this can include information on individual people.
If you walk through your nearest city centre, you will be captured on surveillance cameras. You may even have a security doorbell which records video and captures movement.
Research by Clarion Security Systems estimates that over 942,562 CCTV cameras are in operation across London, approximately one camera for every 10 residents.
Activity: Read this article which examine the controversial use of surveillance cameras in London. King’s Cross has been watching you – and the police helped
The AI cameras in the King’s Cross area of London were turned off after a few months of use. Facial recognition technology scrapped at King’s Cross site. But surveillance cameras are still used in many other locations.
Activity: Play this video about AI business uses and consider the ethics of the use of AI with facial recognition
Since the pandemic, there has been a rapid increase in retail theft in Europe. The country with the highest rate in Europe is France.
Facewatch is one of several companies which has been created to help shops reduce this problem.
Activity: Read these articles
– AI facial recognition used to tackle retail crime
– I was misidentified as shoplifter by Facewatch
– Facewatch launched in Spain
The ethics of using facial recognition could be used with students. Here are some questions that they could discuss.
– Are you happy that your face is being scanned without your permission when you enter a shop ?
– Do you know what is done with the biometric data that is being captured?
– Do you think the technology is foolproof or could it misidentify someone?
– Does this breach rules over GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation)?