“There’s a reason many Africans are wary of the identification technology: It doesn’t work as well for people with dark skin. That’s where Charlette N’Guessan, a young Ivorian researcher, comes in...

She’s not ashamed to say it: The coronavirus pandemic has been “a very good thing” for Charlette N’Guessan. The same goes for Africa’s forward-looking tech entrepreneurs in general. “With the challenges posed by COVID-19, the continent is waking up,” the young Ivorian says. “People are thinking innovation, ideas, change. This crisis gives credibility to what we are doing.” It must be said that N’Guessan’s chosen field — facial recognition — is largely unexplored in Africa. It also arouses a fair amount of suspicion, and for good reason: Existing algorithms, including the best out there, are less accurate at identifying individuals of color, as tests conducted in the United States have revealed an error rate five to 10 times higher for these populations.

Article by Marie de Vergès

Source: https://worldcrunch.com/tech-science/how-facial-recognition-technology-is-different-in-africa#

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