Human rights experts request Canadian government to address AI and facial recognition technology risks

A coalition of experts urges Canada’s government to address the challenges posed by AI and facial recognition technology, stating that the proposed legislative changes fall short of addressing key recommendations by ETHI.

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A group of civil society, academic and industry experts who expressed grave concerns about Canada’s federal government’s response to AI and facial recognition technology (FRT). In a joint letter, the group asks the government to take immediate action to address the serious challenges posed by FRT and AI.

The coalition argues that by relying instead on its promised legislative changes to Canada’s federal private sector privacy laws in Bill C-27, the government has failed to address many of the Privacy and Ethics (ETHI) Committee’s key recommendations. The coalition’s open letter aims to set out a clear framework for more robust regulation and federal leadership, stating that the Bill fails to adequately tackle the serious risks and challenges posed by the adoption and use of FRT. The letter has been posted at right2yourface.ca, with the campaign expected to be fully rolled out in the coming months.