Researchers Slam Artificial Intelligence Software That Predicts Emotions

A prominent group of researchers alarmed by the harmful social effects of artificial intelligence called Thursday for a ban on automated analysis of facial expressions in hiring and other major decisions. The AI Now Institute at New York University said action against such software-driven "affect recognition" was its top priority because science doesn't justify the technology's use and there is still time to stop widespread adoption. The group of professors and other researchers cited as a problematic example the company HireVue, which sells systems for remote video interviews for employers such as Hilton and Unilever. It offers AI to analyse facial movements, tone of voice and speech patterns, and doesn't disclose scores to the job candidates. The nonprofit Electronic Privacy Information Center has filed a complaint about HireVue to the US Federal Trade Commission, and AI Now has criticised the company before.