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Statement of Task

A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine study will assess current capabilities, future possibilities, societal implications, and governance of facial recognition (FR) technologies. It will

• Provide a broadly accessible explanation of FR technologies, their relationship to artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies, applications of FR technologies, and interactions and interoperability of FR technologies with other systems;
• Review existing governmental and other efforts aimed at explaining the workings and implications of FR technologies;
• Assess the strengths, capabilities, risks, and limitations of FR technologies, to include measures of performance and cost and differential accuracy across subpopulations (e.g., across races, genders, and ages);
• Consider current approaches to governing the use of FR technologies in law enforcement, non–law enforcement, and other common use cases and describe implications of the use of FR technology and requirements for adequate safeguards;
• Consider concerns about the impacts of FR technologies in public and private settings on privacy, civil liberties, and human rights, including issues of usability, equity, fairness, privacy, consent, community interests, and other societal considerations affecting FR acceptability; and

• Develop recommendations to govern the use and performance of facial recognition technologies in ways that could increase quality and efficiency, increase public safety, and safeguard privacy, civil liberties, and human rights.