According to a recent study titled “The Current Reality of Facial Recognition,” although AI technology has progressed, there is still a long way to go. The article’s opening line reads, “With closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras installed everywhere, from shops to buses to private homes, the UK is one of the most watched nations in the world.” In the past few years, automated facial recognition on a big scale has advanced thanks to AI technology like neural networks. It could significantly impact security with the UK’s vast network of CCTV cameras.
But the system must surmount obstacles. There are concerning private repercussions, though. Collecting biometric facial data from photographs or CCTV footage is especially unsettling because it can be done without the subject’s knowledge or consent. Whether a subject matches a watch list or not, this data can be collected arbitrarily and provides for the tracking and location of individuals. It’s simple to picture crowd photos where each face is connected to the individual’s identity and possibly other data about them.
The advantages must outweigh the disadvantages if we trade our privacy for greater protection. Does technology, like face recognition technology, work well for apprehending criminals? Police departments have tested live facial recognition technology throughout the UK in busy streets, sports arenas, and shopping centers. The NeoFace algorithm from NEC, which calculates the structure of each face and measures the distances between the eyes, nostrils, mouth, and jaw, has been used in the Metropolitan Police’s ten technology trials to date.
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