IBM will no longer produce or offer facial recognition software, the CEO said Monday.
In a letter to Congress, IBM CEO Arvind Krishna asked Sen. Kamala Harris, Rep. Karen Bass and others to consider focusing on policies surrounding police reform and the responsible use of technology for law enforcement purposes.
Krishna said, "IBM firmly opposes and will not condone uses of any technology, including facial recognition technology offered by other vendors, for mass surveillance, racial profiling, violations of basic human rights and freedoms, or any purpose which is not consistent with our values and Principles of Trust and Transparency."
Krishna also wrote that "now is the time to begin a national dialogue on whether and how facial recognition technology should be employed by domestic law enforcement agencies."
A 2019 study from the National Institute of Standards and Technology found that facial recognition softwares did incorrectly identify Black and Asian individuals more often than White individuals.
Krishna said that any artificial intelligence being used by law enforcement should be tested for racial biases and that the results should be reported.
