In the wake of the death of George Floyd and other racial inequities, Minneapolis City Council has taken action to create a new civic tech initiative called Clearview AI. The program is aimed at leveraging artificial intelligence to improve citizen engagement with their government and increase access to city services for underserved communities. The goal is to provide citizens with an easy-to-use platform that allows them to access the most up-to-date city information. This blog post will discuss what Clearview AI is, how it works, and how it could change the way that people interact with their local government. We’ll also explore potential risks associated with this technology and how it may impact privacy rights. Finally, we’ll look at some of the potential benefits that this program could bring to Minneapolis and beyond.
Minneapolis City Council Approves Clearview AI Facial Recognition Pilot
The Minneapolis City Council on Friday approved a pilot program that will test out Clearview AI’s facial recognition technology.
The program will be overseen by the city’s Office of Police Conduct Review, which will use the technology to compare photos of people involved in police misconduct complaints with a database of publicly available images.
Clearview AI has drawn criticism for its mass scraping of social media photos and its close ties to law enforcement. But the company has argued that its technology could help identify officers involved in misconduct, as well as help solve crimes.
The pilot program will last six months, and the city will have the option to extend it.
What is Clearview AI?
Clearview AI is a technology company that specializes in facial recognition software. The company’s flagship product, Clearview AI, is a cloud-based application that uses an extensive database of photographs to identify individuals from images.
Clearview AI’s technology has been used by law enforcement agencies across the United States to solve crimes and track down missing persons. The company has also sold its software to private companies, including retail stores and event venues.
Clearview AI’s technology has raised privacy concerns due to the vast amount of data that it collects and stores. The company has been criticised for collecting images from social media platforms without the consent of users.
How will the Pilot Program Work?
The Pilot Program will work by allowing the Minneapolis City Council to use Clearview AI, a facial recognition technology, for six months. This will allow them to test the technology and see if it is effective in helping them solve crimes. If the program is successful, it will be expanded to other city departments and eventually made available to the public.
What are the Pros and Cons of Clearview AI?
The city council of Minneapolis is considering using Clearview AI, a facial recognition software that has been criticized for its lack of privacy protections. Here are some pros and cons of using this technology:
Pros:
1. Clearview AI can help law enforcement identify suspects in crimes more quickly.
2. The software can also be used to prevent crime, by identifying known criminals in public places and alerting authorities.
3. Some argue that the benefits of using Clearview AI outweigh the privacy concerns, as the software has the potential to save lives and solve crimes.
Cons:
1. Clearview AI raises serious privacy concerns, as it collects and stores data on innocent people without their consent.
2. There is a risk that the facial recognition data could be misused or hacked, leading to identity theft or other problems.
3. The use of Clearview AI could lead to more false positives, as the software is not perfect and sometimes makes mistakes.
Conclusion
The Minneapolis City Council’s decision to introduce Clearview AIhatmakerTechCrunch is a bold statement on the importance of privacy and data protection in this digital age. It shows that governments are increasingly taking steps to ensure their citizens have access to higher levels of safety and security as technology continues to develop at an exponential pace. We commend the council for recognizing the potential risks associated with facial recognition technology, and for making proactive moves towards protecting its residents from unnecessary surveillance.