Zone’s Ross Basham handpicks and shares the five best new stories on digital trends, experiences and technologies…
1. IBM abandons ‘biased’ facial recognition tool
IBM is to stop offering facial recognition software for “mass surveillance or racial profiling” amid calls for police reform in the US following the killing of George Floyd. A 2019 study found there was racial biases in AI facial recognition tools, with none of the tools tested 100% accurate at recognising people with dark skin.
Now IBM has urged Congress to use tech that brings “greater transparency”, such as body cameras on police officers and data analytics. However, Privacy International says it is a “cynical move” from IBM, as they were instrumental in the “development of so-called smart policing techniques” in the first place.
2. Breakthrough in transparent face masks
With mask-wearing now widespread, researchers have been trying to solve some of the associated problems with them — they are hot, uncomfortable, muffle voices and, most importantly, obscure the mouth, making it challenging for caregivers to show compassion and impossible for those with hearing impairments to lipread.
Now researchers in Switzerland have come up with a new design that offers near full transparency while being breathable and protective (and don’t fog up from the wearer’s breath). HelloMasks are also made from organic biomass-based materials, so are recyclable and biodegradable. Hopefully they’ll be available in early 2021.
3. Microsoft’s AI reports on its own racism
As we reported last week, Microsoft has replaced its human news editors with AI software, amid warnings that the AI may not be able to follow strict editorial guidelines. Lo and behold, a few days later the robot editor illustrated a news story about racism with a photo of the wrong mixed-race member of the band Little Mix.
To make matters worse, the Guardian article about this error was then selected by Microsoft’s AI software because it was of interest to its readers. So the remaining human staff were told to intervene to override the AI (which then also selected a wealth of follow-up stories about the incident). Maybe this wasn’t such a great idea?
4. Developer says VR has damaged his eyesight
A software developer who has worked in VR for four years has said that wearing the headsets for hours on end has damaged his eyesight. Danny Bittman tweeted that a doctor blamed the technology, after he began suffering from an “eye convergence problem that acts like dyslexia” when he reads from screens or books.
The Association of Optometrists says it hasn’t seen evidence that VR headsets could cause permanent eye damage. And while Bittman has been prescribed glasses that should correct his problem, he intends to cut back on his daily use dramatically. And, obviously, any headlines such as these are terrible PR for the VR industry.
5. Hanifa turns heads with 3D fashion show
When New York Fashion Week fell victim to Covid-19, Anifa Mvuemba, founder of fashion label Hanifa, found a new way to unveil her latest designs. Mvuemba held a virtual fashion show on Instagram Live, in which each garment appeared in 3D against a black backdrop, as if worn by invisible models strutting across a catwalk.
Mvuemba, 29, whose family immigrated to the US from the Democratic Republic of Congo when she was three, has used tech and social media to build a thriving direct-to-consumer business. And thanks to the buzz around her 3D show, she expects her business to grow this year despite the recession. Read more about her here.
