Snippet: Say No to Convenience Store Facial Recognition ☇

Tristan Greene for The Next Web:

A convenience store in Tacoma has installed a facial recognition security system to deny customers entry unless they’re approved by an AI. This news has likely been well-received by the city’s discrimination attorneys. […]

The store in question, Jackson’s Food Store in Tacoma, appears to be aware of the privacy concerns surrounding the use of such products. It issued a statement assuring the community it won’t sell or share the data, but didn’t address the technology’s problems recognizing non-white faces.

I have problems with this for two reasons: AI is inherently racist right now (even as mentioned in the main article), and I’m not sure I really trust a convenience store chain with my privacy. Both feel like a losing battle already, but if consumers wholesale reject the technology, maybe we can defeat it. Fortunately, we have choices right now, but this seems like one of those half-baked “technology will fix everything by just existing” moves.