IBM will no longer offer or develop facial recognition technology

IBM將停止研究與開發臉部識別技術

Decision comes amid massive demonstrations across country against police brutality


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — IBM will no longer offer "general purpose" facial recognition or analysis software, CEO Arvind Krishna said in a letter to Congress on Monday (June 8).

The letter was addressed to Senators Cory Booker and Kamala Harris and Representatives Karen Bass, Hakeem Jeffries, and Jerrold Nadler, according to The Verge. “IBM firmly opposes and will not condone uses of any technology, including facial recognition technology offered by other vendors, for mass surveillance, racial profiling, violations of basic human rights and freedoms, or any purpose which is not consistent with our values and Principles of Trust and Transparency,” the letter said.

“We believe now is the time to begin a national dialogue on whether and how facial recognition technology should be employed by domestic law enforcement agencies” the letter continued. “IBM would like to work with Congress in pursuit of justice and racial equality, focused initially in three key policy areas: police reform, responsible use of technology, and broadening skills and educational opportunities."

While facial recognition technology has improved over the years, it has been shown to display biases in terms of age, race, and ethnicity, The Verge reported. A National Institute of Standards and Technology study from December 2019 found that a majority of facial recognition algorithms displayed a wide range of accuracy across different demographics, The Verge reported.

Krishna suggested that national policy should also "encourage and advance uses of technology that bring greater transparency and accountability to policing," listing body cameras and modern data analytics techniques as examples. He also recommended Congress expand training and educational opportunities for communities of color.

The letter comes amid massive demonstrations across the country against police brutality sparked by the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police.