The scientist spoke about the pros and cons of the implemented technology
cameras – such an innovation was recently announced in the capital. It is expected that testing of the new system will begin in the near future. How will this be arranged, and will such “smart cameras” violate consumer rights, «MK» discussed with Vasily Klyucharev, a leading researcher at the Institute of Cognitive Neurosciences of the Higher School of Economics, and Alexei Fedoryaka, a lawyer.
It is assumed that this system, consisting of a camera and a special computer based on a processor with a neural accelerator, will work in the interests of retailers. It is important for them to understand what products attract the attention of the buyer due to their appearance, and to correctly place them on the store shelves. However, they would also like to know who exactly is shopping: «Artificial intelligence determines the age, gender and direction of the eyes of buyers in order to identify potentially interesting products on the shelves,» is how the innovation is announced.
Then there is supposed to be «dense» working with the faces and emotions of buyers? Will such a "tool" convenient for the buyers themselves?
– This is a very serious topic, – Vasily Klyucharev comments on the technology being prepared for implementation in metropolitan supermarkets. – I know that in many countries, for example, in some areas of London, people are already agreeing to limit the placement of cameras in public places. On the one hand, it is clear that this is a good tool for protecting against crime, but on the other hand – people want to keep some privacy, privacy. In that sense, it's a big ethical question.
According to Klyucharev, the direction of the buyer’s gaze, his choice of this or that product, especially in relation to his gender and age, just relate to the very topic of privacy, and in order to retrieve such data, sellers, in a good way, must first obtain preliminary information from the buyer resolution.
– If you remember, when entering a particular site, we are often asked if we consent to the collection and processing of our data. In offline stores, in theory, such a rule should also apply, – the interlocutor is speaking.
– This is also a big question. The data may remain inside the Moscow government or the store, or it may «leak» to, for example, medical companies. Those who see that a person looks bad, and even buys alcohol at the same time, can increase insurance. “Or maybe the patient leads an unhealthy lifestyle: why was he suddenly drawn to full-fat yogurt?” In any case, if not material, then reputational damage can be caused to him.
Recently, the development of neural networks has reached a new level. If before a respectable buyer, relatively speaking, did not give a damn about the cameras in stores, which could only record offenses, now the situation has changed. «Smart» cameras are able to identify a person and «pull out» more complex information about it.
– Firstly, your taste preferences, and secondly, – social circle, because a person may not be alone on the trading floor, thirdly, he may not be healthy, not shaved, in a bad mood, etc. All these little things can actually tell a lot about a person. Now, from a photo in a school album, from a person’s emotions on it, one can tell whether he will be happy in life.
At the present stage of the development of artificial intelligence, using store videos, theoretically, one can characterize a person even by how confidently we choose a product, whether we prefer expensive or cheap brands.
– All fears about the coming crisis associated with the development of neural networks are not groundless. In my opinion, it may come, but not tomorrow. At least in Russia, there are simply no specialists so large as to be able to analyze such subtle input data. But in the foreseeable future, they will definitely appear.
– Of course, everyone says this, but it's better to act according to the principle: trust, but verify.
– Articles 23 and 24 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation tell us that every citizen has the right to privacy, personal and family secrets, that the collection, storage and use of information about his private life without his consent is in no case allowed . In addition, there is the Federal Law on the Protection of Personal Data, according to which all data about a person, including his hair color, age, etc., can be collected only with his consent and only if they correspond to the purpose of collection. Based on this, it can be assumed that filming customers, determining their age and gender in relation to their faces in stores without their permission will be considered a violation of their rights.
– I have little idea how stores will get permission from buyers to collect photo and video information. Maybe it will be indicated on the check that when we buy the goods, we consent to the collection and processing of our data? What can be recommended here? Read carefully everything that is printed, especially what is printed in small print.