Shoplifters Warned: AI and Facial Recognition At A Store Near You

In Australia, retailers like Woolworths and Bunnings are catching shoplifters with the help of AI software called Auror. 

However, concerns have been raised about the privacy implications of using facial recognition technology in stores. 

While European countries are ahead in consumer privacy rights, Australian regulators are investigating facial recognition software used by Bunnings and Kmart.

The University of Technology Sydney's emerging technologies expert, Nicholas Davis, warns that retailers need to be careful about sharing customers' personal information gathered through in-store tracking. 

Despite these concerns, police officers like the ACT's Chief Police Officer Neil Gaughan have praised the Auror system for being a legitimate substitute for traditional CCTV footage. NSW Police also uses Auror for collecting intelligence on retail crime.

- CyberBeat