Key Takeaways
- The city of Edmonton in Canada has launched a pilot project to test the use of facial recognition technology in police body cameras.
- The technology, provided by Axon Enterprise, Inc., has been trained to detect the faces of around 7,000 people on a "high risk" watch list.
- The pilot project has raised concerns among civil liberties advocates and experts, who argue that the technology is flawed and poses significant risks to privacy and human rights.
- The use of facial recognition technology in policing is a highly debated topic, with several US states and cities having curtailed its use due to concerns about bias and accuracy.
- The Edmonton pilot project is seen as a test case for the potential use of facial recognition technology in policing across North America.
Introduction to Facial Recognition Technology
The city of Edmonton in Canada has become the testing ground for a new and controversial technology: facial recognition-equipped police body cameras. The technology, provided by Axon Enterprise, Inc., has been trained to detect the faces of around 7,000 people on a "high risk" watch list. This pilot project has raised alarms among civil liberties advocates and experts, who argue that the technology is flawed and poses significant risks to privacy and human rights. The use of facial recognition technology in policing is a highly debated topic, with several US states and cities having curtailed its use due to concerns about bias and accuracy.
The Pilot Project
The pilot project in Edmonton is meant to help make patrol officers safer by enabling their body-worn cameras to detect anyone who authorities have classified as having a "flag or caution" for categories such as "violent or assaultive; armed and dangerous; weapons; escape risk; and high-risk offender." The watch list has 6,341 people on it, and a separate list adds 724 people who have at least one serious criminal warrant. The technology is designed to detect faces in real-time, and the outputs will be analyzed later at the station. The police service has stated that the technology will only be used to detect potentially dangerous individuals, and not to surveil the general public.
Concerns and Criticisms
However, the pilot project has raised significant concerns among experts and civil liberties advocates. Barry Friedman, a former chair of Axon’s AI ethics board, has expressed concerns that the company is moving forward with the technology without enough public debate, testing, and expert vetting. Friedman argues that the technology poses serious risks to privacy and human rights, and that its use should be subject to rigorous scientific testing and deliberation by local legislators. He also notes that the technology is flawed, with studies showing that it demonstrates biased results by race, gender, and age.
The Broader Context
The use of facial recognition technology in policing is a highly debated topic, with several US states and cities having curtailed its use due to concerns about bias and accuracy. The European Union has banned real-time public face-scanning police technology, except when used for serious crimes like kidnapping or terrorism. In the UK, authorities have used facial recognition technology to make over 1,300 arrests in the past two years, but its use is still highly contested. The Edmonton pilot project is seen as a test case for the potential use of facial recognition technology in policing across North America, and its outcome will likely have significant implications for the future of policing.
Axon’s Response
Axon, the company behind the technology, has defended its decision to move forward with the pilot project. CEO Rick Smith argues that the technology has become significantly more accurate since the company first considered its use in 2019, and that it is now ready for trial in the real world. Smith also notes that the company has implemented safeguards to mitigate the risks associated with the technology, including human review of all matches. However, critics argue that these safeguards are not enough, and that the company should disclose more information about its evaluations and testing.
The Future of Policing
The use of facial recognition technology in policing is likely to be a highly contested issue in the coming years. As the technology continues to evolve and improve, it is likely that more police agencies will consider its use. However, it is essential that any deployment of the technology is subject to rigorous scientific testing, deliberation by local legislators, and transparency and accountability. The Edmonton pilot project is a critical test case for the potential use of facial recognition technology in policing, and its outcome will likely have significant implications for the future of policing. Ultimately, it is up to policymakers, experts, and the public to ensure that any use of facial recognition technology is balanced against the need to protect individual rights and freedoms.
