Google funded a facial recognition project that reportedly used questionable tactics while targeting people of color, the Daily News is reporting.
The company is aiming to build a diverse database, so products like the biometric features on its upcoming Pixel 4 smartphone don’t suffer from racial bias, according to the newspaper.
Facial recognition technology has had a more difficult time identifying people with darker skin, the Daily News said.
Temporary workers were paid to collect face scans from people on the street. In return, the people received $5 gift cards.
“We regularly conduct volunteer research studies,” a Google spokesman said. “For recent studies involving the collection of face samples for machine learning training, there are two goals. First, we want to build fairness into Pixel 4’s face unlock feature. It’s critical we have a diverse sample, which is an important part of building an inclusive product.”
But several of those who worked on the project said those involved used misleading methods.
They claim teams were sent to target the homeless in Atlanta, unsuspecting college students, and attendees at the BET Awards in Los Angeles.
These workers were paid through a third-party employment firm called Randstad, the newspaper said.
The sources said they were instructed by a Randstad supervisor not to tell subjects they were being recorded.
“We were told not to tell (people) that it was video, even though it would say on the screen that a video was taken,” a source said.
And the workers were reportedly directed to walk away if people become suspicious.
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