A recent survey revealed that a majority of UK shoppers are uncomfortable with the use of facial recognition and other AI-based technologies by retailers to prevent shoplifting. This follows several cases of innocent shoppers being mistakenly accused of shoplifting by the systems.
Jasleen Chaggar, legal and policy officer at Big Brother Watch, said it was “no surprise shoppers object to being treated like a rogues’ gallery when they’ve done nothing to arouse suspicion”.
“For retailers to indiscriminately subject their customers to automated monitoring and profiling – often without their knowledge or consent – is intrusive and unwarranted. When the technology inevitably gets it wrong, innocent members of the public find they are smeared by criminal accusations and left to clear their name.”
“Retailers should respect the rights of their shoppers over misplaced promises of security, and the government must step in to restrain the growing AI Wild West taking over shops across the country.”
The Grocer – Shoppers uneasy with retailer AI security measures