China should regulate facial recognition instead of banning it, SenseTime exec says

SenseTime, the world’s most valuable AI start-up, has called on governments to establish new regulations for facial recognition systems.

The call follows the recent decision in San Francisco to ban local police and other agencies from using such technology because of the potential for abuse.

An aerial view of Guangzhou, China. / Photo credit: Pexels

“Governments should craft regulations instead of restricting use [of facial recognition systems],” said Xu Li, co-founder and chief executive of SenseTime, on the sidelines of a company event in Beijing on Wednesday. “There should be standard guidelines to determine under which conditions certain emerging technologies can be used.”

He described the introduction of new rules covering facial recognition as “crucial” towards the wider adoption of this form of AI technology around the world, while suggesting the ban in San Francisco ban would be the “exception” to that trend.

The ban, the first to be adopted by a city in the United States, is part of broader legislation that creates a high hurdle for any agency in San Francisco to use advanced surveillance systems. The restriction excludes airports and other federally regulated facilities.

Similar bans are currently being considered in the cities of Oakland in California and Somerville in Massachusetts.

Last month, the US Congress introduced a bill that would block users of facial recognition systems from gathering and sharing data that identifies or tracks consumers without their consent, according to a report by The New York Times.

Those initiatives represent the growing debate about the limits of surveillance, as well as the trade-offs between security and privacy. In China, for example, facial recognition is now being used not just for access control at border checkpoints, but to take attendance in classrooms and to spot jaywalkers.

China has made strides in facial recognition technology because of its large population and centralized identity databases.

The technology, which uses biometric computer applications to automatically identify an individual from a database of digital images, is already being deployed at US airports.

Despite the pockets of resistance to the wider application of facial recognition systems in major markets like the US, SenseTime’s Xu remained upbeat about the adoption of various AI technologies around the world.

“Whether AI is a trend or a hype depends on the delivery of technology,” said Xu. “We’re working with our partners to increase the popularity of AI, so that more people can experience the changes it can bring to their lives.”

At its event in Beijing on Wednesday, SenseTime launched 11 new products for use in industries such as security, education, retail, and health care.