Rite Aid, one of America's leading drug store chains, has found itself in hot water with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over its use of artificial intelligence (AI) and facial recognition technology. In a move reminiscent of a sci-fi thriller, Rite Aid has agreed to halt its use of facial recognition technology for the next five years following allegations of wrongful identification and unfair targeting of individuals based on their race.
The FTC has accused Rite Aid of employing AI-powered facial recognition technology to identify customers deemed likely to engage in criminal activities such as shoplifting. This initiative resulted in some customers being denied entry, detained, or subjected to searches. However, the use of this technology has proven to be far from accurate, with the FTC alleging that Rite Aid wrongfully identified customers as criminals. Furthermore, the FTC found that the system disproportionately targeted people of color, primarily in neighborhoods with large black, Latino, and Asian communities.
