Microsoft refuses to let police use AI for facial recognition

Microsoft will not allow law enforcement to use AI technology that it offers through Microsoft Azure for real-time facial recognition.

It appears in a new and updated version of the “Code of Conduct for Azure OpenAI Service”, writes The Register.

According to the website, there were also restrictions on the use of facial recognition in earlier versions of the guidelines, but these have now become even clearer – and now apply globally.

Prohibited for use in body cameras

Microsoft has a separate point in the guidelines on the use of facial recognition for American police. There is all such use is simply prohibited.

“The Azure OpenAI service prohibits the identification or verification of individuals’ identities using media containing human faces by any user, including by or for US state or local law enforcement,” the policy states.

New now is an absolute ban globally for law enforcement authorities against using real-time facial recognition on mobile cameras to try to identify individuals in uncontrolled environments – such as out on the street.

As an example, Microsoft mentions body cameras (body-cams) or dashboard-mounted cameras to identify people who are in a database of suspects or previously convicted criminals.

Can be allowed sometimes

Outside the US, according to The Register’s interpretation of the rules individual things the police can use Azure OpenAI Service for. The way the guidelines are formulated, for example, it may look like permanently mounted cameras, for example inside a police station, will be able to be used for facial recognition.

The Register has asked Microsoft if their interpretation is correct, but was told only that the company’s guidelines for the responsible use of facial recognition apply to everyone customers – including law enforcement authorities. The guidelines will therefore prevent the use of the technology also on fixed cameras “out in the wild”. But whether it applies inside a police station is unclear.

Artificial intelligence has also already been used in body cameras. Recently, Axon announced that it had begun using OpenAI’s Chat GPT4 to automatically turn speech captured by body cameras into police reports. The company also considered facial recognition, but got a no from its own ethics board.