[Paywall] Insurer Wants Out of Covering Biometric Privacy Suit
(LAW360, Sep 13, 2023)
A Hartford unit told an Illinois federal court it should owe no coverage to a farm supply company accused in a proposed class action of violating the state's biometric privacy law,...
[Paywall] US Biometric Storage System Protections Need Work, Watchdog Says
(Bloomberg Law, Sep 12, 2023)
The US Department of Homeland Security’s plan to update its biometric database needs better privacy protections and is running concerningly behind schedule, according to a Government Accountability Office report released Tuesday. DHS’ new biometric identity management system—used to inform immigration and national security decisions—is expected to retain the fingerprints and facial scans of hundreds of millions of individuals. But the program doesn’t align with several privacy requirements for federal agencies handling private data, the GAO report found. The government watchdog’s findings come as DHS plans to increase storage capacity and broaden the biometric data it collects to include categories like...
Mitigating AI Bias: The Key to a Better Future for Businesses and Society
(Forbes, Sep 13, 2023)
Biased technology, when released into the world, can have detrimental effects. Its impact can include discrimination in hiring, digital redlining and misidentification in facial recognition software. I have already read far too many heartbreaking incidents of Black men being arrested—and even jailed—after being falsely identified by facial recognition technology. These incidents are not just minor inconveniences for those affected, but alarming phenomena that have cost people time, opportunities and even their freedom. It is to our collective benefit that safeguards be established so that AI does more good than harm—and that the most vulnerable in our communities are not further marginalized.
The Twisted Eye in the Sky Over Buenos Aires
(WIRED, Sep 13, 2023)
When Judge Andrés Gallardo began to investigate the city’s facial recognition system, he first decided to visit the city's surveillance center. Video footage from his visit that WIRED obtained shows a group of people, including the now-former security minister of Buenos Aires, Marcelo D'Alessandro, sitting at the large conference table. D’Alessandro assures Gallardo that, by law, only fugitives can be searched for by facial recognition—and that it is not possible to add additional people to the list. But a digital forensic search of the ministry's computers, which the judge ordered after his visit, made Gallardo suspect the system could have been used to observe blameless citizens and to feed a gigantic database.
Dubai Airport to Introduce Single Biometric for Check-in, Immigration, Boarding
(Siasat Daily, Sep 13, 2023)
Dubai International Airport (DXB) is working on a project to introduce single biometric for check-in, immigration and boarding the aircraft to facilitate passenger clearance process, local media reported.
I Spy AI: Unusual and Interesting Use Cases of AI
(Reuters, Sep 13, 2023)
Whether it carries implicit bias or not, facial recognition has become a standard use of AI technology. While it’s most often used for human faces, one AI app uses the technology on animals. It can help you recognize a pet’s species, breed, and, wait for it, emotion. It’s easy to see when your dog is happy, but can you tell scared from angry, tired from bored, shame from disgust? The app can. Dog lovers won’t be surprised to learn that Labradors are among the easiest faces to discern, and cat lovers know their pets are more enigmatic than their canine counterparts. As with other AI applications, the program is fed on human intelligence. The app was trained by long-time pet owners who recognized the emotions their animals displayed.
