US Banks Use Artificial Intelligence to Watch Workers, Public
2021-05-03
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1Several American banks have started using surveillance software and computer vision to watch people using their services.
2Computer vision is a part of artificial intelligence that uses computers to understand the world we see.
3A Reuters news agency investigation found that the software is used to learn about customers, watch employees and spot people sleeping near Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs).
4Banks like the City National Bank of Florida and JPMorgan Chase & Co have tested facial recognition and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.
5The growth of AI tools within the banking industry could signal the spread of the technology into other industries.
6Bobby Dominguez is the chief information security officer at City National Bank.
7He said smartphones that open through facial recognition have shown the potential of the technology.
8"We're already leveraging facial recognition on mobile," he said. "Why not leverage it in the real world?"
9Dominguez said City National will begin testing facial recognition next year to identify customers and employees.
10He added the software could find people on government watch lists.
11Facial recognition technology, however, has raised civil rights concerns among many people.
12Critics of the tool point to arrests of innocent people wrongly identified by the technology.
13The software is said to be used disproportionately in poorer and minority communities.
14Critics also say the technology results in a loss of privacy.
15This year, Portland, Oregon, banned businesses from using facial recognition in public places.
16The drugstore company Rite Aid also closed a facial recognition program last year.
17Fredrik Nilsson is the vice president at Axis Communications, which makes surveillance cameras.
18He said a big question for banks with this technology is how the public will react to it.
19Dominguez said he and other bank officials had thought about customers' concerns.
20"We're never going to compromise our clients' privacy," Dominguez said.
21The largest American bank, JPMorgan, began using surveillance technology in 2019.
22Former employees said the bank researched videos and photos to learn more about their customers.
23Video showed that more men would visit the bank before or after lunch.
24Women would come in the middle of the afternoon.
25Before the pandemic, the company was going to use the footage to see whether women avoided contact with others while using ATMs.
26JPMorgan said it uses the data to better plan work hours for employees and to design its banks.
27A current employee said the bank could soon test facial recognition software on people as they enter a bank.
28People would need to agree to be a part of the test, however.
29JPMorgan is using software that aims to measure how employees spend their time.
30Others seek to identify how many customers leave because of long lines and to find out how long transactions take.
31The bank also said that facial, race and gender recognition are not part of the test.
32Banks have wanted to use computer vision for security for a long time.
33More than 10 years ago, Wells Fargo used old software to study video of crimes to see if any faces matched known criminals.
34An official at a bank in America's South said that computer vision is being used at all of his company's banks.
35It creates warnings when doors to safes or other important rooms are left open.
36Outside, the bank watches for people loitering.
37Some homeless people set up shelters underneath covered ATMs.
38Security workers can play a sound message asking those people to leave, the official said.
39Brian Karas works at Airship Industries, which creates computer vision software.
40He said that banks have long been concerned with people sleeping in ATM spaces where people use machines to do their banking business.
41Some software can sound an alarm or shine a bright light when cameras see a person loitering, Karas said.
42He added that the companies did not want to displace people seeking shelter, but that the company believed it was necessary to make ATMs safe and available.
43Bank of America, the country's second largest bank, has also invested in computer vision.
44At a September 2019 conference with the bank, the company AnyVision explained how it could identify the face of a Bank of America official.
45The bank said, "We are always reviewing potential new technology solutions that are on the market."
46I'm Dan Friedell.
1Several American banks have started using surveillance software and computer vision to watch people using their services. Computer vision is a part of artificial intelligence that uses computers to understand the world we see. 2A Reuters news agency investigation found that the software is used to learn about customers, watch employees and spot people sleeping near Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs). 3Banks like the City National Bank of Florida and JPMorgan Chase & Co have tested facial recognition and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. The growth of AI tools within the banking industry could signal the spread of the technology into other industries. 4Bobby Dominguez is the chief information security officer at City National Bank. He said smartphones that open through facial recognition have shown the potential of the technology. 5"We're already leveraging facial recognition on mobile," he said. "Why not leverage it in the real world?" 6Dominguez said City National will begin testing facial recognition next year to identify customers and employees. He added the software could find people on government watch lists. 7Facial recognition technology, however, has raised civil rights concerns among many people. Critics of the tool point to arrests of innocent people wrongly identified by the technology. The software is said to be used disproportionately in poorer and minority communities. Critics also say the technology results in a loss of privacy. 8This year, Portland, Oregon, banned businesses from using facial recognition in public places. The drugstore company Rite Aid also closed a facial recognition program last year. 9Fredrik Nilsson is the vice president at Axis Communications, which makes surveillance cameras. He said a big question for banks with this technology is how the public will react to it. 10Dominguez said he and other bank officials had thought about customers' concerns. 11"We're never going to compromise our clients' privacy," Dominguez said. 12Watching workers and customers 13The largest American bank, JPMorgan, began using surveillance technology in 2019. Former employees said the bank researched videos and photos to learn more about their customers. 14Video showed that more men would visit the bank before or after lunch. Women would come in the middle of the afternoon. Before the pandemic, the company was going to use the footage to see whether women avoided contact with others while using ATMs. JPMorgan said it uses the data to better plan work hours for employees and to design its banks. 15A current employee said the bank could soon test facial recognition software on people as they enter a bank. People would need to agree to be a part of the test, however. 16JPMorgan is using software that aims to measure how employees spend their time. Others seek to identify how many customers leave because of long lines and to find out how long transactions take. 17The bank also said that facial, race and gender recognition are not part of the test. 18Targeting homeless people 19Banks have wanted to use computer vision for security for a long time. More than 10 years ago, Wells Fargo used old software to study video of crimes to see if any faces matched known criminals. 20An official at a bank in America's South said that computer vision is being used at all of his company's banks. It creates warnings when doors to safes or other important rooms are left open. 21Outside, the bank watches for people loitering. Some homeless people set up shelters underneath covered ATMs. Security workers can play a sound message asking those people to leave, the official said. 22Brian Karas works at Airship Industries, which creates computer vision software. He said that banks have long been concerned with people sleeping in ATM spaces where people use machines to do their banking business. 23Some software can sound an alarm or shine a bright light when cameras see a person loitering, Karas said. He added that the companies did not want to displace people seeking shelter, but that the company believed it was necessary to make ATMs safe and available. 24Bank of America, the country's second largest bank, has also invested in computer vision. At a September 2019 conference with the bank, the company AnyVision explained how it could identify the face of a Bank of America official. 25The bank said, "We are always reviewing potential new technology solutions that are on the market." 26I'm Dan Friedell. 27Paresh Dave and Jeffrey Dastin reported this story for Reuters. Dan Novak adapted it for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor. 28____________________________________________________________ 29Words in This Story 30surveillance-n. the act of carefully watching someone or something especially in order to prevent or detect a crime 31vision-n. the ability to see : sight or eyesight 32potential-n. a quality that something has that can be developed to make it better 33leverage-n. influence or power used to achieve a desired result 34disproportionate-adj. having or showing a difference that is not fair, reasonable, or expected ; too large or too small in relation to something 35privacy-n. the state of being alone : the state of being away from other people 36transaction-n. the act or process of doing business with another person, company, etc. 37loiter-v. to remain in an area when you do not have a particular reason to be there