Technologies contained within the field of AI such as Automated Facial Recognition can stimulate a sense of fear
Fear is not a tangible thing, rather a feeling, but it can be incredibly powerful.
When fear prevails, leadership stops.
There is a way of overcoming fear which breeds from the unknown. Make the unknown element smaller. Of course, you can’t predict everything, so a leap of faith may be needed too but through education and learning, the risks are reduced. Fear can be transferred to a balance sheet which weighs up risk vs benefit and then it becomes more empirical, measurable and back under control.
Those who feel the fear and do it anyway are the early adopters and leaders among us. Those who are willing to try and fail, but also to try and succeed. Try nothing and you will not fail but you are also guaranteed not to succeed. You cannot succeed at something you are not doing. “Try nothing” can reside in the comfort zone, a place which does not foster innovation.
Trying nothing can result in vitally important innovation being kept on the sidelines when otherwise it could be helping to create a safer COVID secure world. A technology-assisted economy may not have to be shut down and opened up in fits and starts. Currently, a blunt instrument has to be applied which is somewhat like using a hammer to crack an egg. Technology enables fast, laser-focused decisions through automatic analysis and learning from data. Ignore the technology and its potential and it is almost certain that your decisions will not be well informed and could be causing more harm than good.
AI attracts much debate mostly through a lack of understanding
Automatic Facial Recognition (AFR) contains a subset of the AI capability, but the critical interest from the public and privacy groups is less about the technology and more around who is using it and for what purpose.
This technology is already proven and is being continually improved. The more it learns, the level of accuracy increases. It brings great benefits to millions of people around the world through FinTech for mobile phone payment ID verification. When applied in the physical security context, we at Anekanta Consulting describe it as physical security technology, a new term “PhySecTech” emerges. One of its applications provides contactless access control which is becoming increasingly important in COVID secure environments.
But it does not stop there, this is not just about proving technology, we need to ensure that the application and use are proportionate and ethical in order to build trust. This will in turn increase its adoption and widespread benefit to society. Industry leaders are working together to make this happen.
Where to learn about AFR?
On 11th November 2020 at 2pm GMT, the British Security Industry Association (BSIA) are holding a webinar to discuss the ethical use of AFR in the professional and public security and safety context. The founder of Anekanta Consulting, Pauline Norstrom is one of the panel speakers taking part in the debate and a leader and advisor on the broader subject of Artificial Intelligence applications.
We do hope you can join the broadcast to learn about this vitally important technology and what the BSIA is doing about guiding the professional security industry and in turn the decision-makers responsible for AFR’s ethical deployment.
For further information about how Anekanta Consulting may help you to understand emerging technology and put it to beneficial use within your products or business take a look at our Services here
Or simply fill in our online form and we’ll start the discussion.