IBM quits facial recognition, joins call for police reforms

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press



Matt O'brien, Ap Technology Writer Updated 3:08 pm CDT, Tuesday, June 9, 2020

IBM is getting out of the facial recognition business, saying it's concerned about how the technology can be used for mass surveillance and racial profiling.

Ongoing protests responding to the death of George Floyd have sparked a broader reckoning over racial injustice and a closer look at the use of police technology to track demonstrators and monitor American neighborhoods.

IBM is one of several big tech firms that had earlier sought to improve the accuracy of their face-scanning software after research found racial and gender disparities. But its new CEO is now questioning whether it should be used by police at all.

“We believe now is the time to begin a national dialogue on whether and how facial recognition technology should be employed by domestic law enforcement agencies,” wrote CEO Arvind Krishna in a letter sent Monday to U.S. lawmakers.

Read more: https://www.chron.com/business/article/IBM-quits-facial-recognition-joins-call-for-15326884.php

[onetexan]

1. Chalk this one up as another win for BLM & protests going on

[turbinetree]

2. And to think that IBM system was recommended by Frances Perkins to FDR and Social Security

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

3. No worries, I'm sure Facebook can pick up the slack.

Fourth Amendment? Fifth Amendment? Forget it.

[roamer65]

4. Skynet cannot be stopped.

[ToxMarz]

5. Are they going to step up their work into putting the genie back in the bottle