Louisiana authorities’ use of facial recognition technology has led to a mistaken identity arrest of a Georgia black man on a fugitive warrant, an attorney said. This case renews racial disparities in the use of AI-based digital tools.
According to The New Orleans Advocate, Randall Reid was jailed in November in DeKalb County, Georgia. His attorney, Tommy Calogero, said authorities mistakenly linked Reid to purse thefts in Baton Rouge and Jefferson Parish. Reid, arrested on November 25, was released on December 1.
Reid is Black, and his arrest is bringing new attention to the use of technology, resulting in higher misidentification of people of color compared to white people.
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Calogero said Reid was falsely connected to the June theft of luxury purses from a shop in Metairie. Reid’s case has brought up renewed attention to the usage of facial recognition equipments in Louisiana and elsewhere.
Facial recognition tools have been criticized for their mass surveillance features, which raise privacy concerns. Some studies have shown that the tech is far more likely to misidentify Black people and other people of color, resulting in mistaken arrests.
