Expert available to discuss uses, flaws of facial recognition software

Facial recognition technology is in the spotlight this week, after numerous media outlets reported that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials are using it to mine state driver’s license databases without motorists’ knowledge. The reports are the latest to highlight the growing use of the technology for both law enforcement surveillance and development of new products by tech companies.

Jed Brubaker, an assistant professor of information science at CU Boulder, studies digital identity and has done research on facial recognition software. He can discuss racial, gender and other inherent biases with the technology and their potential impacts.

“Gender and other biases exist in facial recognition algorithms, and also in how facial recognition is turned into cloud-based products by organizations like Amazon and Microsoft,” he says. “As developers increasingly use these cloud services, they risk subtle forms of bias that extend into the applications we all use in our daily lives.”

Contact:

Lisa Marshall, CU Boulder media relations
lisa.marshall@colorado.edu
303-492-3114

Jed Brubaker
jed.brubaker@colorado.edu