IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad says facial recognition algorithms must be unbiased, transparent: Report

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Minister of Electronics and Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad asserted the importance of facial recognition systems being unbiased when it comes to local citizens. Prasad was speaking at an event organised by Intel that discussed the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in India.

He touched upon the global significance of facial recognition technology and said that AI must benefit citizens instead of harming them, India Today reported. "The facial recognition process cannot show any bias of colour or ethnicity," he said.

Prasad also discussed keeping users in the loop, highlighting transparency. He said that while a user’s data is being kept into account, they must be informed of the purpose for which it is being used.

"Data is the oxygen for AI. The data ecosystem has to be trustworthy that users needed to be informed of the purpose for which their data is being used. There must be sanctity in that process, be it safety, security or consent. It is equally important that the right to privacy is respected as well," he said.

Prasad added that the application of AI should not be in a manner that the basic time-tested attributes of human existence are lost and it must not be used in a manner that would lead to the weaponising of the technology, reiterating the point made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier.

On October 5, while addressing the attendees at the RAISE Summit, Prime Minister Modi said the world must be protected against "weaponisation of AI" by non-state actors.

"It remains our collective responsibility to ensure trust in how AI is used. Algorithm Transparency is key to establishing this trust," PM Modi said at the conference, adding that India would also maintain that trust.