What would living in a world where we are able to be identified anywhere and anytime look like? Well, we may soon be living in one. Much like the developments within The Circle Axon has been developing facial recognition software—and has currently created an ethics board to determine where the line stands in incorporating it for public use. The technology has already been tested in places such as the UK and China. Its use as a tool in law enforcement is something not currently in the works, but has all the potential—toting the moral ideology similar to The Circle’s SeeChange. Rick Smith, CEO of Axon, stating that “real-time recognition might be useful for extreme cases like child abductions or terrorist manhunts.” Just as SeeChange aims to hold those accountable for their actions in the name of human rights and knowledge (Eggers 67), the technology behind real-time face recognition is much the same. Framed in the name of protection, it seems as though the benefits outweigh the risks.
The ethics board, is said to be able to hold Axon “publicly accountable.” Straight from the mouth of Axon’s spokesman, it bears close resemblance to the idea of “transparency” within the circle; the idea that if we know how they are using this technology, perhaps they have nothing to hide, or that it may not be harmful at all. While issues unapparent in The Circle, such as facial recognition’s current abilities to identify those who are not white, it fails to mention what may occur once the technology reaches that point; such as what information may be available simply from scanning one’s face, and what other uses may arise out of its development—perhaps even the ability to search for anyone, anywhere in real time, just like The Circle? While the ethics board seems to be a start in stepping away from the impact of a Circle-esque future, it is worth noting that their main goal seems to be “developing public trust,” which indicates the privacy factors and other ethical issues may not be deemed as important as Axon wants us to believe. With enough support and with the idea of public safety at risk, it may be worth considering just how much further they could go; and how much closer we are to a society monitored like The Circle. https://www.theverge.com/2018/4/26/17285034/axon-ai-ethics-board-facial-recognition-racial-bias Eggers, David. The Circle. Knopf, 2013. Print.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Dr. PolakWrangler of the attendant ne'er-do-wells. Archives
May 2018
Categories |