The pedestrian detection systems in self-driving cars are less likely to detect children and people of color, study suggests

Sat, 08/26/2023 - 06:47

A white car that reads — Self-driving cars, like the Cruise model from General Motors pictured above, are already on streets throughout the United States.
Heather Somerville/Reuters

Pedestrian detectors in self-driving cars are less likely to detect kids and people of color, study shows.
This is due to bias in open-source AI, on which self-driving cars rely, researchers say.
Researchers are calling on lawmakers to enact policies to regulate these detectors.

As the artificial intelligence revolution ramps up, one trend is clear: Bias in the training of AI systems is resulting in real-world discriminatory practices.