City divided as facial recognition technology shadows New Orleans streets

Through the looking glass: The controversial use of facial recognition technology in New Orleans highlights tensions that cities face in balancing artificial intelligence-driven policing with civil liberties. Supporters call it a vital tool for modern law enforcement, while critics warn that unchecked surveillance endangers fundamental rights. For two years, New Orleans quietly served as a testing ground for one of the most ambitious – and controversial – uses of facial recognition in American policing. More than 200 artificial intelligence-powered cameras scanned faces in real time, alerting police via phone when a match was detected. The Washington Post notes that a private nonprofit, Project NOLA, operates the system – not the city – sparking intense debate over privacy, oversight, and the future of law enforcement technology. Unlike law enforcement's traditional use of facial recognition, which typically relies on submitting still images from crime scenes for later analysis, New ... Read full article.