25+ Human Rights Group Oppose Zoom’s Planned A.I. Tech “that can scan users' faces and speed to determine their emotions”

By B.N. Frank

Lawsuits have been filed against Zoom for proven privacy and security issues associated with its teleconferencing technology. So far the company has paid hundreds of millions of dollars to settle (see 1, 2). Nevertheless, the company is developing new Artificial Intelligence (A.I) technology to scan users’ faces to determine their emotions.

From Tech Times:

Zoom Starts Developing New AI Technology, Upsets Human Rights Groups

April Fowell, Tech Times

Last month, it is reported that Zoom will develop a new Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology that can scan users’ faces and speed to determine their emotions. Now, the platform is in its early stages of development and is now receiving some backlash from several human rights groups, such as Access Now, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and the Muslim Justice League.

Over 25 rights groups sent a letter to Zoom CEO, Eric Yuan, on Wednesday to halt the company’s further research into emotion-based AI.

Esha Bhandari, ACLU Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project deputy director said that an AI like this is “creepy technology.”

Caitlin Seeley George, director of campaign and operations at Fight for the Future said, “If Zoom advances with these plans, this feature will discriminate against people of certain ethnicities and people with disabilities, hardcoding stereotypes into millions of devices.”

She continued, “Beyond mining users for profit and allowing businesses to capitalize on them, this technology could take on far more sinister and punitive uses.”

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