Microsoft rejected facial recognition sales over human rights concerns: Brad Smith

California law enforcement ncy recently requested Microsoft to install facial recognition techlogy in ir officers’ cars and body cameras. Microsoft rejected ir request over human rights concerns, Microsoft president Br Smith said.

According to Microsoft, it would le to discrimination against incent women and mirities being unfairly held for questioning. Microsoft also said that artificial intelligence (AI) has been trained predominantly with white male pictures.

Many cases and incidents have been reported in past where AI failed to identify women and miities. In fact, many studies and research projects in past have pointed out bias in artificial intelligence (AI).

“Anytime y pulled anyone over, y wanted to run a face scan. We said this techlogy is t your answer,” Smith Said while speaking at a Stanford University conference on ‘human-centered artificial intelligence.’

Smith said Microsoft h also rejected deal to install facial recognition on cameras covering capital city of an unnamed country that nprofit Freedom House h deemed t free. Smith said it would have affected freedom of assembly re.

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However, Microsoft agreed to provide facial recognition techlogy to a prison in U.S. after concluded that environment would be limited and safety would be improved.

Smith reiterated company’s commitment to human rights, which according to Smith is increasingly critical as techlogical invations empower government institutions to conduct blanket surveillance, use automous weapons and take or steps leing to irreversible dam.

In December, Microsoft said it would be open about deficiencies pertaining to its facial recognition. company also asked customers to be honest about how y intended to use it while stopping short of ruling out sales to police.

Smith called for greater ministration of facial recognition and or uses of AI. Smith warned that without regulations, companies garing most data might win race to develop best AI in a “race to bottom.”

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet was also present at event. Bachelet urged tech companies to refrain from building new tools without weighing ir impact.

 “Please embody human rights approach when you are developing techlogy,” said Bachelet.