Is facial recognition technology reliable? - Shedding light on fallacies in criminal investigation

Facial recognition technology is an artificial intelligence-based biometric technology that stands at the forefront of global forensic investigations as a leading and widely adopted biometric modality. In comparison to alternative parameters such as voice, fingerprint, iris, retina, eye scan, gait, ear, and hand geometry; facial recognition emerges as the most popular and effective tool for personal identification and verification. Beyond its role in research, access control, user authentication, and border security, the technology plays a dynamic role in law enforcement and surveillance. Despite its extensive applications, the technology sparks privacy and ethical debates. Contemporary concerns revolve around its potential to implicate innocent individuals, raising issues of civil liberties, human rights, and privacy infringement. In light of these considerations, this article critically examines the reliability and consistency of facial recognition technology and incorporates case studies highlighting instances of wrongful detentions. It also explores the principles and functioning of facial recognition technology. The face recognition outcomes rely heavily on features that are extracted to reflect the face pattern and classification techniques used to distinguish between faces. However, there are a few limitations associated with the facial recognition technology. This is prone to errors in detecting some facial features and skin tones, which raises potential risks and consequences for innocent persons and communities. Therefore, these mistaken identity cases emphasize the urgent need for robust oversight, transparency and safeguards to ensure fairness, preventing misuse and upholding the dignity and privacy of individuals in the growing era of artificial intelligence. The present communication concludes with actionable recommendations to address the ethical and privacy challenges associated with facial recognition in the forensic context.