Schools are using facial recognition to try to stop shootings. Here’s why they should think twice.
Facial recognition is just one of several AI-powered security tools showing up at schools.
For years, the Denver public school system worked with Video Insight, a Houston-based video management software company that centralized the storage of video footage used across its campuses. So when Panasonic acquired Video Insight, school officials simply transferred the job of updating and expanding their security system to the Japanese electronics giant. That meant new digital HD cameras and access to more powerful analytics software, including Panasonic’s facial recognition, a tool the public school system’s safety department is now exploring.
Denver, where some activists are pushing for a ban on government use of facial recognition, is not alone. Mass shootings have put school administrators across the country on edge, and they’re understandably looking at anything that might prevent another tragedy.
Safety concerns have led some schools to consider artificial intelligence-enabled tools, including facial recognition software; AI that can scan video feeds for signs of brandished weapons; even analytics tools that warn when there’s been suspicious movement in a usually-empty hallway. Recode has identified about 20 companies that have sold or have expressed interest in selling such technology to educational institutions.
On its face, facial recognition seems like it might help keep kids safe; in a promotional video by Panasonic, a Denver public school official argues that the company’s AI could be used to prevent potentially dangerous people — like students expelled because they CONTINUE READING: Schools are using facial recognition to try to stop shootings. Here’s why they should think twice. - Vox
