How a new type of AI is helping police skirt facial recognition bans
1 min read
Summary
US law enforcement are using AI to track suspects using physical attributes, rather than facial recognition, which is falling out of favour due to concerns over privacy.
The AI tool Track, built by analytics company Veritone, can analyse footage from body cameras, drones and other sources to identify individuals according to attributes like hair colour and style, height, gender, clothing and accessories.
Washington DC-based technology and civil liberties advocate, the Electronic Privacy Information Center recently called on the US Federal Trade Commission to examine the dangers of such AI-augmented surveillance.
However, the tool’s developers claim it could also exonerate suspects and that it is not designed as a mass surveillance tool.