Know It All: AI, facial recognition, and police surveillance

WAMU 88.5 | By Michelle Harven, June Leffler

Published February 23, 2023 at 8:04 AM CST

A live demonstration uses artificial intelligence and facial recognition in dense crowd spatial-temporal technology.

We conclude our artificial intelligence week with facial recognition, policing, and surveillance.

The 2002 movie “Minority Report” imagined a world where eye scans are an everyday occurrence and a pre-crime police unit caught criminalsbeforethey could commit murder. In a sense, some of that is becoming a reality.

Today, artificial intelligence is being used by law enforcement for facial recognition and even predictive policing. It can help solve and prevent crimes, but it’s not foolproof. That’s resulted in wrongful arrests and continued racial profiling in policing.

Outside the U.S., so-called “safe cities” use AI and big data for “Big Brother” surveillance systems.

We ask how much these technologies can curb crime, and at what cost to our freedom.

This show concludes our series “Know It All: 1A and WIRED’s Guide to AI.” WIRED’s newsletter “Fast Forward” explores how technology is changing our lives.

Our other conversations on AI in healthcare and education are available online.