Cambridge Business Association
Facial Recognition Technology
Article

Facial Recognition Technology

The need for public regulation and corporate responsibility

Brad Smith
Microsoft, 2018
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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Innovative
  • Bold
  • Visionary

Recommendation

It’s unusual for big tech companies to ask for government regulation – yet Microsoft has done just that. In a blog post, the company’s president Brad Smith warns about the potential misuses of facial recognition technology, stating that a common regulatory framework will be in everyone’s best interests. It is not yet known whether Microsoft’s competitors will join his call for industry standards. Yet Smith’s essay raises a series of important ethical questions, which getAbstract believes tech industry insiders will want to consider.

Summary

Computer-assisted facial recognition technology has advanced rapidly and as databases with stored facial images expand, cloud-based facial recognition systems will be able to identify people captured on surveillance cameras without their knowledge. This has sparked human-rights concerns relating to privacy and freedom of expression. Furthermore, facial recognition technology continues to be error-prone. While the technology is best at recognizing white males, it identifies the faces of women and people of color less reliably. It is up to both governments and tech companies to implement effective regulations and ethical guidelines to prevent...

About the Author

Brad Smith is the president and chief legal officer of Microsoft.

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