IBM has recently announced that it will be dropping all research and development plans for facial recognition technology. The unprecedented decision was spurred on by the political climate in the United States right now, in which millions are protesting the death of George Floyd at the hands of law enforcement officers from Minneapolis, MN.
IBM has been a leader in this kind of technology, but is now condemning it, claiming that when used by law enforcement it is likely to promote racial profiling and discrimination. This is likely in response to a recent string of studies that show that facial recognition technology has bias for certain races.
What’s more, the company is now calling for a “national dialogue” on whether or not facial recognition technology should be used by law enforcement. There is a strong case for both sides of the argument, so it seems that a national discussion would be fitting.
It will be interesting to see if this move changes anything, but it has certainly helped to stir the pot and get people thinking about the many aspects of the current conflict. How facial recognition is handled may be just the first of many changes made in the coming weeks.
Source: IGN
