“We are trying to limit the use of artificial intelligence in those areas where we see it as a serious problem for the fundamental rights and freedoms of citizens.
Evaluations of this type of application are often unreliable and create a risk of discrimination. We do not want to stop technological progress, but to frame its use so as to guarantee basic human rights, “said the leader of the Bulgarian Socialists in the EP Petar Vitanov at a press conference with journalists.
The reason is his report on the applications of artificial intelligence in law enforcement, which the European Parliament voted on today. The topic of artificial intelligence has long been the subject of serious discussions in plenary. The main debate is where the line is between its use in the name of security and the risk of abuse and discrimination.
The use of artificial intelligence in various public spheres is growing at an unprecedented rate. The prediction of crimes and the identification of possible future perpetrators is now happening not only in cinema. Artificial intelligence recognizes faces, voices, gaits.
Smart systems process huge amounts of data, based on which they classify people and predict their future behavior. However, smart applications are by no means infallible, and a number of NGOs already recognize the risk of skewed outcomes and discrimination against vulnerable groups.
Vitanov’s report raises the question of how objective the assessment of computers is and where we should set the limit in order not to live in an Orwell story. He calls for restrictions and human control over the use of artificial intelligence in law enforcement and for a ban on facial recognition in public places.
“We already have a number of cases in which people are treated unfairly because of artificial intelligence – they are denied social benefits because of the errors of instruments based on artificial intelligence or they are arrested as a result of unreliable facial recognition. I am not surprised that the victims are always the poor, immigrants, people of color, Eastern Europeans, “Vitanov said earlier in the plenary hall of the European Parliament.
“Personal recognition in public places violates privacy, the right to opinion and expression, the right to associate with others and to remain anonymous,” the MEP said in an interview with the authoritative newspaper Politico. This can cause people to never take part in peaceful demonstrations or protest. On the other hand, from a method of ensuring security, facial recognition can easily become a means of mass surveillance.
“I do not want to oppose security and freedom, but technological progress must not be to the detriment of human rights. Artificial intelligence can be dangerous, whether used by democratic or authoritarian governments, because it often makes mistakes and distorts the results. We must be careful – good intentions do not always justify the means. As lawmakers, we have a huge responsibility to European citizens, “Vitanov added.
