MEPs to vote on proposed ban on ‘Big Brother’ AI facial recognition on streets
On Thursday, the European Parliament will vote on a proposed amendment to Article 5 of the Artificial Intelligence Act, which seeks to bar the use of live facial recognition technology on public streets within the EU. Yet, a group of center-right MEPs are expected to challenge this decision, contending that biometric screening should be employed to combat serious criminal acts such as terrorism.
The motion is part of a package of measures put forward for what could be the world’s first AI regulations, potentially subjecting firms to hefty fines or total exclusion from trading within the EU for violations of this law.
The amendment would prohibit businesses from utilizing AI to recognize people through cross referencing CCTV footage with posts shared on Instagram, Facebook, or other social media websites. Additionally, it would prevent the use of “emotional recognition,” which could be abused by employers or the state to deduce when someone is fatigued. These prohibitions are among twelve compromise amendments ultimately selected from more than three thousand, pertaining to the AI Act.
