2 chapters across the catalog
Amazon Chief Technology Officer Werner Vogels defended the company's facial recognition technology, comparing it to steel that can be used for both incubators and guns. Vogels argued that it is society's responsibility, not the manufacturer's, to decide on the ethical application and regulation of such tools. This "cavalier" attitude toward privacy and civil rights is criticized as typical of high-revenue Silicon Valley firms.
Amazon Rekognition, ACLU Facial Recognition Test, Racial Bias
An ACLU test of Amazon’s Rekognition software resulted in 28 false matches between members of Congress and a mugshot database. A disproportionate number of the false matches involved people of color, leading to accusations of racial bias in the algorithm. Amazon responded by claiming the ACLU did not use the tool's recommended confidence thresholds.
