Key facts
- Coles and Woolworths are testing facial recognition technology.
- The technology is being considered to combat retail crime.
- Consumer privacy advocates have expressed alarm over the trials.
- Critics cite privacy concerns and potential inaccuracies.
- Sainsbury's has paused its AI scanning system in one store.
- A customer was wrongly identified as a shoplifter by Sainsbury's system.
- Sainsbury's stated human error caused the incident.
- The customer expressed concerns about AI surveillance.
Australian supermarkets Coles and Woolworths are currently trialing facial recognition technology, a move that has raised significant concerns among consumer privacy advocates. The retailers are exploring the implementation of this technology as a potential tool to combat retail crime. However, critics are voicing apprehension regarding the implications for consumer privacy and the potential for inaccuracies within the system.
In a related development, UK supermarket chain Sainsbury's has temporarily halted its AI scanning system in one of its stores. This decision follows an incident where a customer was mistakenly identified as a shoplifter by the system and subsequently asked to leave the premises. Sainsbury's has attributed the error to human intervention rather than a flaw in the technology itself. The customer, however, has voiced their unease about the pervasive nature of AI surveillance.