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Understanding bias in facial recognition technologies
Over the past couple of years, the growing debate around
automated facial recognition has reached a boiling point. As
developers have continued to swiftly expand the scope of these
kinds of technologies into an almost unbounded range of
applications, an increasingly strident chorus of critical voices has
sounded concerns about the injurious effects of the proliferation
of such systems on impacted individuals and communities. Critics
argue that the irresponsible design and use of facial detection and
recognition technologies (FDRTs) threaten to violate civil liberties,
infringe on basic human rights and further entrench structural
racism and systemic marginalisation. In addition, they argue that
the gradual creep of face surveillance infrastructures into every
domain of lived experience may eventually eradicate the modern
democratic forms of life that have long provided cherished means
to individual flourishing, social solidarity and human self-creation.
Defenders, by contrast, emphasise the gains in public safety,
security and efficiency that digitally streamlined capacities for
facial identification, identity verification and trait characterisation
may bring. These proponents point to potential real-world benefits
like the added security of facial recognition enhanced border
control, the increased efficacy of missing children or criminal
suspect searches that are driven by the application of brute force
facial analysis to largescale databases and the many added
conveniences of facial verification in the business of everyday life.
Whatever side of the debate on which one lands, it would
appear that FDRTs are here to stay.
Adapted from: understanding_bias_in_facial_recognition_technology.pdf