UN High Commissioner warns facial recognition could destroy privacy

14/07/2023 | Biometric Update

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has raised concerns about the potential negative impact of facial recognition systems, warning that they could lead to the mass surveillance of public spaces and the destruction of privacy. Türk also highlighted the dangers of artificial intelligence (AI), including its potential to strengthen authoritarian governance, operate lethal autonomous weapons, and perpetuate systemic bias at a recent UN Human Rights Council side event session. The Commissioner proposed the creation of an international advisory body to regulate high-risk technologies and cautioned against self-regulation by the AI industry. Türk cited the previous failure of self-regulation in regulating social media platforms as an example.

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