The concept of someone using artificial intelligence to identify a criminal is no longer just a science fiction plotline. Developments in AI, as well as facial recognition technology, has opened a pandora's box to the coming age of AI policing, something that is equally exciting and terrifying. Recently a man accused of taking the life of his girlfriend in Southeast China was caught all thanks to an AI-driven facial recognition program. Crime-fighting AI is a commonly used trope in both film, television, and anime. Minority Report, Person of Interest, and the critically acclaimed anime Psycho-Pass have plots that center around an advanced technological system ( which is usually AI) that can identify potential criminals.

Shelf-mounted cameras paired with artificial intelligence facial recognition software that can identify a person's age, gender, and ethnicity were one of the emerging systems being pitched to retail companies during this year's National Retail Federation Big Show in New York in January. The idea was to give physical stores demographic information that could guide how they market to individual customers. It's something that could give them a competitive edge against online retailers such as Amazon, that have been leveraging customer data all along. But using cameras to capture photos of your customers in a way they may not even notice seems like it could be crossing that line between cool technology and creepy technology. Beyond that, there could be other problems, too. What if the software misidentifies a man as a woman and offers him a discount on feminine hygiene products?