Episode 64: Facial Recognition, the New Normal, and the 4-Day Work Week

Jun 16, 2020

Special Note: This week's podcast is brought to you by our friends at Third Tier. For more information, visit www.ThirdTier.net.

Topic 1: IBM and Amazon get out of facial recognition

Major companies are backing away from developing and working with facial recognition technology. Issues include both the racial bias and the fact that they are working with police agencies.

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/08/ibm-gets-out-of-facial-recognition-business-calls-on-congress-to-advance-policies-tackling-racial-injustice.html

And then there was another shoe that dropped on the facial recognition topic.
https://www.theverge.com/2020/6/10/21287101/amazon-rekognition-facial-recognition-police-ban-one-year-ai-racial-bias

Other, older, related links:

https://www.wired.com/story/algorithms-recognize-masked-face/

https://www.biometricupdate.com/202002/victim-identification-officer-says-clearview-facial-recognition-biggest-breakthrough-chicago-to-review-use-by-cpd

Topic 2: Let's Ban the term “New Normal”

Everything changes all the time. We discuss whether the term "new normal" is actually useful at all. Hint: In a tech-centric world, this term just isn't very useful.

We welcome your comments and feedback.

Topic 3: Life after the pandemic -- The 4-Day Work Week

This is a thread we’ve touched on in terms of the way people will work after the pandemic . . . but with more specific details and recommendations.

Here's a recent article from a Canadian writer.

https://theconversation.com/the-day-is-dawning-on-a-four-day-work-week-139587
:-)