from the two-wrongs-in-search-of-a-right-(to-violate) dept.
Arthur T Knackerbracket has processed the following story:
Rather than wait for the tech to catch up to the promises made by promotional materials, cops are apparently moving ahead with efforts that will cause even more problems for future tech adoption.
We’re already afflicted by at least one tech company that believes it’s perfectly OK to stock its database of billions of photos with any content not locked down on the internet. Beyond that, there’s the problems inherent to the systems themselves, which aggravate biased policing by doing their most accurate work when gazing on the faces of white males.
Now there’s this, which is the sort of thing that’s just a lawsuit waiting to happen. Here’s Paige Collins and Matthew Guariglia of the EFF with more details:
A police force in California recently employed the new practice of taking a DNA sample from a crime scene, running this through a service provided by US company Parabon NanoLabs that guesses what the perpetrators face looked like, and plugging this rendered image into face recognition software to build a suspect list.
Parabon has been offering its DNA-to-face services for years. It’s very proud of its ability to generate faces using nothing but DNA info. It has tons of cases listed on its site and provides links to news coverage of investigations aided by its ability to generate a DNA-based analogue for police suspect sketches.
Perusing the site, it’s immediately noticeable that lots of the DNA-based speculations look very little like the person arrested or charged. But that’s not really all that problematic. Parabon’s “snapshots” aren’t meant to be definitive descriptions of criminal suspects. They’re simply meant to contribute to ongoing investigations by giving cops something to post or hand out when asking people if they’ve seen anyone resembling these speculative pictures.
Sure, there’s always a chance this may result in a wrongful arrest or detention, but the company makes it clear these are nothing more than a best guess based on DNA profiles. It’s not great, but it’s not Parabon’s fault if cops decide to go a step or two further than the purpose for which these “snapshots” were intended.
That’s on the cops themselves. Parbon does not encourage this sort of use of its DNA snapshots. But cops who apparently have zero concern about adding AI speculation to AI speculation to engage in investigations are making things demonstrably worse by using Paragon’s “snapshots” for reasons they were never intended. Wrong + wrong never equals right.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by anubi on Thursday April 04, @09:04PM (3 children)
Cardinal Richelieu is frequently quoted as saying,
"If you give me six lines written by the hand of the most honest of men, I will find something in them which will hang him."
I suggest this:
I am frequently quoted as saying,
"If you give me six acts done by the most honest of men, I will find something in them which will compel him to surrender a DNA sample."
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 04, @09:42PM (2 children)
Forgot to add:
These samples along with requisite photo and other identifying data can be collected by Law Enforcement and shared with companies for use as AI training . All enforcement and collection costs paid by the tax-payers.
At this point, nearly everyone's DNA is accounted for, except for those who have the privilege to classify theirs.
Also all company expenses, dividends, and profit to the AI company will be borne by the Tax-Payer as well. Just have to grease the correct legislative hand. Good for Business!
At least this point, we oughta have a person's scent stored as well. If a bloodhound can sniff someone out, so can AI.
Make AI drones with a Badge and a Gun. Optionally a useless arm for addressing the authority figure with the proper decorum...Sal-ute!
They will sniff out the "bad guy" and either compel it to obey, or radio back to the law enforcement authority where the DB is.
I know...a little far-fetched? After what I have been seeing happen lately, I can at least entertain the concept.
(Score: 2) by Mojibake Tengu on Friday April 05, @12:19AM (1 child)
If your data is classified for no apparent reason, and opponent has indicative metadata about that, it is trivial to deduce you are an important target of interest.
This is level 1 indirection in mapping of structures, by mapping of privileges. Applied Category Theory.
Respect Authorities. Know your social status. Woke responsibly.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Friday April 05, @03:55AM
Much of this is either hiding date from unclued opponents (the general public) or theater (data classified away from low level law enforcement that couldn't do anything to a target of interest anyway - secret police would know everything, of course).
(Score: 2) by Tork on Thursday April 04, @09:06PM (1 child)
In other words lots of people are going to be hauled in for minor traffic infractions. "But I just have a burnt out tail light." "You resemble a suspect from another crime." "But that guy has eight fingers!"
🏳️🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️🌈
(Score: 4, Touché) by sjames on Friday April 05, @06:32PM
Don't worry, the cops will "compensate" for AI halucinations using confirmation bias. "The guy in the picture has 8 fingers!". "Don't worry, AI's get things like that wrong all the time.". "But he also has a scar on his cheek!". "Like I said, AI's get things like that wrong sometimes.". "But the guy you hauled in is African-American!" "We all know race confuses the AI all the time. Look! He has 2 arms, two legs, he's wearing clothes and he's a man. It's an exact match!"
(Score: 3, Funny) by Mykl on Thursday April 04, @09:57PM (1 child)
This will be useless in Hollywood.
(Score: 3, Funny) by Mojibake Tengu on Friday April 05, @12:27AM
Hollywood not a technical barrier. With a classifier of ugliness a predictor of cosmetic surgery can be designed.
Respect Authorities. Know your social status. Woke responsibly.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Snotnose on Thursday April 04, @11:35PM
With the best of intentions. What could possibly go wrong? Better 100 innocent men sit in jail than 1 guilty man go free.
When the dust settled America realized it was saved by a porn star.