#36: Facial recognition and ethics

What misconceptions lie beneath this widely used technology? What ethical and societal debates about its use are emerging? Find out the answers to these questions and more as Helena Machado discusses her work in this episode of Knowledge Pills. Facial recognition technologies, while promising convenience and security, raise critical issues like invasion of privacy, surveillance normalization, discrimination, and inaccuracies. This episode delves into these technologies' societal impacts, examining how they shape citizenship and public engagement. In this episode, Professor Helena Machado discusses the project fAIces, which integrates diverse perspectives to reshape technology’s societal role, amplify marginalized voices, and inspire creative, activist-driven approaches to ethics and engagement. For the 36th episode of Arqus Knowledge Pills, “Facial recognition and ethics,” she highlights her efforts to develop innovative ethical frameworks, such as “etho-assemblages,” and explore alternative futures for facial recognition technologies that prioritize inclusivity, creativity, and public empowerment. Learn more about Helena Machado  Helena Machado is a leading researcher in the sociology of science and technology. Full Professor of Sociology at the Institute for Social Sciences, University of Minho (Braga, Portugal), she is the Director of the PhD Programme in Sociology; and founding member and coordinator of the AIDA Social Sciences Network, a social sciences’ research initiative focusing on artificial intelligence, data, and algorithms.