Microsoft has reaffirmed its prohibition on U.S. police departments utilizing generative AI for facial recognition via Azure OpenAI Service. The recent updates to Azure OpenAI Service’s terms of service explicitly forbid police department integrations for facial recognition technology in the U.S., encompassing both current and potential future image-analyzing models.
Additionally, the revised terms explicitly prohibit the use of real-time facial recognition technology on mobile cameras, such as body cameras and dashcams, by law enforcement globally, especially in uncontrolled environments.
These policy changes follow closely after Axon, a manufacturer of military and law enforcement technology, unveiled a new product using OpenAI’s GPT-4 generative text model to summarize audio from body cameras. Concerns have been raised regarding potential issues such as hallucinations and racial biases.
It’s uncertain whether Axon utilized GPT-4 via Azure OpenAI Service, and whether the updated policy was prompted by Axon’s product launch. Previously, OpenAI had restricted the use of its models for facial recognition through its APIs.
The updated terms provide some flexibility for Microsoft. The ban on Azure OpenAI Service usage applies only to U.S. police, not international ones. Moreover, it does not include facial recognition conducted with stationary cameras in controlled settings, although it prohibits any facial recognition use by U.S. police.
These adjustments align with Microsoft’s and OpenAI’s recent stance on AI-related law enforcement and defence contracts. OpenAI has collaborated with the Pentagon on various projects, including cybersecurity capabilities, while Microsoft has suggested using OpenAI’s image generation tool, DALL-E, for military software development.
Azure OpenAI Service became available in Microsoft’s Azure Government product in February, tailored to government agencies, including law enforcement. Candice Ling, SVP of Microsoft’s government-focused division, has pledged that Azure OpenAI Service will undergo additional authorization for DoD missions.
