Taser Company Axon Isn’t Down With Cops Using Facial Recognition Technology Just Yet
Written by SOURCE on June 27, 2019
Even Axon, i.e. the company formerly known as TASER, is questioning the ethics behind the implementation of facial recognition technology in the policing industry.
In a statement Thursday detailing the findings of a report from the Axon AI and Policing Technology Ethics Board, formed in April 2018, CEO Rick Smith pointed to a need for additional research while noting “ethical concerns” found in current face-matching tech.
“Current face matching technology raises serious ethical concerns,” he said. “In addition, there are technological limitations to using this technology on body cameras. Consistent with the board’s recommendation, Axon will not be commercializing face matching products on our body cameras at this time.”
The wording of the report itself, linked here, is even more direct.
“Face recognition technology is not currently reliable enough to ethically justify its use on body-worn cameras,” researchers noted in a Key Takeaways section of the report’s overview. “At the least, face recognition technology should not be deployed until the technology performs with far greater accuracy and performs equally well across races, ethnicities, genders, and other identity groups.”
While Axon isn’t ruling out the possibility of reassessing the tech in the future if certain guidelines are met, the move still marks a victory for advocates of keeping such abilities out of the hands of law enforcement for fear of misuse.
