NITI Aayog releases White Paper: Responsible AI for All (RAI) on Facial Recognition Technology (FRT) | Current Affairs | Vision IAS
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NITI Aayog releases White Paper: Responsible AI for All (RAI) on Facial Recognition Technology (FRT)

Posted 02 Jul 2024

2 min read

This paper examines FRT as the first use case under NITI Aayog’s RAI principles and aims to establish a framework for responsible and safe development and deployment of FRT within India. 

  • FRT is an AI system which allows identification or verification of a person based on certain images or video data using complex algorithms.

Working of FRT

  • FRT primarily seeks to accomplish three functions - 
    • Facial detection which relies on algorithms to detect presence of human face.
    • Facial extraction which uses mathematical representations to identify distinctive features on individual faces.
    • Facial recognition which involves automatic cross-referencing of a person’s facial features with pre-existing database. 

Applications of FRT

  • Security Related: Law and order enforcement (surveillance, identification of persons of interest, monitoring of crowd, screening for violation of public norms).
  • Non-Security related: 
    • Ease of access in services (e.g. contactless onboarding at airports through Digi Yatra).
    • Ease in usability such as unique IDs in educational institutions etc.
    • Authentication for access to products, services, and public benefits.

Risks with FRT systems

  • Design-based risks: Automation bias, discrimination, lack of accountability, misidentification/inaccuracy due to under-representations in databases.
  • Rights-based issues: Privacy and lack of consent, informational autonomy, and processing of sensitive personal data etc.

Recommendations for responsible use of FRT

  • Principle of Privacy and Security: Establish data protection regime fulfilling a three-pronged test of legality, reasonability and proportionality.
  • Principles of accountability: Address issues pertaining to transparency, algorithmic accountability and AI biases. 
  • Ensuring Safety and Reliability: Publishing standards of FRT related to explainability, bias and errors.
  • Principle of protection and reinforcement of positive human values: Constitute ethical committee to assess ethical implications and oversee mitigation measures. 
  • Tags :
  • NITI AYOG
  • Facial Recognition Technology
  • FRT
  • Responsible AI for All
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