“If people with disabilities or facial differences are not included in the development of these processes, no one will think about these issues,” says Kathleen Bogart, a psychology professor at Oregon State University who specializes in disability studies and lives with facial differences. “Artificial intelligence has exacerbated these problems, but it is rooted in long-standing underrepresentation and prejudice against people with different facial features that have existed long before the advent of artificial intelligence.”
Too little, too overdue
When facial verification systems fail, it is often tough to find aid, which adds more pressure to a stressful situation. Maryland resident Noor Al-Khaled has been trying to set up an online account with the Social Security Administration for months. Al-Khaled, who suffers from a infrequent craniofacial disease Ablepheron macrostomyshe says having an online account would allow her to easily access SSA records and quickly submit documents to the agency.
“I don’t drive because of my eyesight; I should be able to rely on the service,” says Al-Khaled. “You have to take a selfie and the photos have to match,” Al-Khaled says. “Due to the difference in faces, I don’t know if it’s the ID not being recognized or the selfie, but I always get a message that the images don’t match.”
Lack of such access makes life tough. “On an emotional level, I just feel cut off from society,” she explains. Al-Khaled says all services should provide people with alternative ways to access online systems. “The lack of other fallback options means that sometimes people get trapped in mazes of technology systems,” says Byrum of Present Moment Enterprises.
Courtesy of WIRED
An SSA spokesperson says alternative face-to-face verification options are available and the company is “committed” to making its services available to anyone. The agency, according to a spokesman, does not operate facial recognition systems itself, but uses Login.gov and ID.me verification services. The General Services Administration, which runs Login.gov, did not respond to WIRED’s request for comment. “Availability is key priority for ID.me,” says an ID.me spokesperson, adding that it has previously helped people with facial differences and offered direct assistance to Al-Khaled after contacting WIRED.
“There are few things more dehumanizing than being told by a machine that you’re not real because of your face,” he says Corey R. TaylorFresh York-based actor and motivational speaker who suffers from a craniofacial anomaly. Taylor says he used a financial app to access a compact amount of money last year; while trying to complete the payment process, he discovered that the facial verification system couldn’t match his selfie to the photo on his ID. For the system to work, he had to change positions. “I literally had to look up and contort my face,” Taylor says. When he emailed the company, he received what appeared to be a boilerplate response.