It has the ability to enable multiple applications that keep smart cities safe, but as facial recognition technology has become more sophisticated, so has its potential for abuse. It suffers from problems with accuracy and racial and gender bias, and privacy concerns have led to widespread pushback against the technology.

The clich is that it could be a modern-day version of Jeremy Benthams Panopticon the prison where the warden could see every prisoner and cell, but the inmates couldnt see their jailer. However, it is in the justice context where facial recognition is causing the most concern. Over the last few months, the killing of George Floyd in the United States has brought police powers, and their use of facial recognition, to the fore around the world.

Facial recognition trials in the UK have been met with opposition. Elsewhere in the United States, San Francisco was the first city to implement an outright ban, and lobbying groups in Chicago have called for a halt to police use of facial recognition technologies. In response to the backlash, major players including Amazon, Microsoft and IBM have pulled back on development of facial recognition technology.

Even before the big tech firms pulled back, facial recognition was already facing regulatory challenges. The US lacks adequate regulation to handle the problems with the technology and earlier this year, the EU mooted a five year ban of facial recognition after finding it is prone to inaccuracy, can be used to breach privacy laws, and can facilitate identity fraud.

Between criticism and barriers to entry, will facial recognition fail to take its place among the technologies of a modern smart city? The technologys roll out now depends on developing regulation and standards that will help protect the privacy of citizens. Zak Doffman, CEO at surveillance solutions company Digital Barriers says its critical the industry, as well as lawmakers and society at large agree how to strike a balance between public safety and ensuring the technology is not misused.

The impact of the facial recognition backlash on smart cities is not straightforward. Other perhaps lesser known technology providers offer applications that might be considered more ethical.

As Doffman points out, not all facial recognition systems are the same. Even as we push back on so-called standoff surveillance applications those that have made recent headlines we are seeing more use of facial recognition to make travel more efficient and secure. The biometric ePassport gates at airports, for example.

Covid-19 has also raised the need for additional facial recognition use cases. Doffman cites the example of contact-free identity assurance a key part of smart city deployments that he says, so far, hasnt seen much push back. The idea that a ticket or a pass might shift from a physical ID to a smart device recognising my face clearly negates me signing in or carrying and handing over a physical card or document. We are also seeing facial recognition becoming the norm to unlock smartphones and for some other forms of access control.

At the same time, despite privacy concerns, the technology isnt hated across the board. In fact its often accepted for public safety applications, as long as its accurate. When it comes to public security, citizens recognise the benefits of facial recognition technology, says Pierre-Adrien Hanania, global offer leader, AI in public sector, Capgemini.

Two thirds of people are comfortable with the use of AI-enabled cameras capable of detecting and tracking abnormal or alarming situations in public areas, and over half see the benefit of facial recognition technologies to track offenders, according to a recent Capgemini Research Institute report.

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The future of facial recognition: the impact on smart cities - SmartCitiesWorld