Fairly Private: Investigating The Fairness of Visual Privacy Preservation Algorithms

As the privacy risks posed by camera surveillance and facial recognition have grown, so has the research into privacy preservation algorithms. Among these, visual privacy preservation algorithms attempt to impart bodily privacy to subjects in visuals by obfuscating privacy-sensitive areas. While disparate performances of facial recognition systems across phenotypes are the subject of much study, its counterpart, privacy preservation, is not commonly analysed from a fairness perspective. In this paper, the fairness of commonly used visual privacy preservation algorithms is investigated through the performances of facial recognition models on obfuscated images. Experiments on the PubFig dataset clearly show that the privacy protection provided is unequal across groups.

Bias and Fairness in Computer Vision Applications of the Criminal Justice System

Discriminatory practices involving AI-driven police work have been the subject of much controversies in the past few years, with algorithms such as COMPAS, PredPol and ShotSpotter being accused of unfairly impacting minority groups. At the same time, the issues of fairness in machine learning, and in particular in computer vision, have been the subject of a growing number of academic works. In this paper, we examine how these area intersect. We provide information on how these practices have come to exist and the difficulties in alleviating them. We then examine three applications currently in development to understand what risks they pose to fairness and how those risks can be mitigated.

State of the Art of Audio- and Video-Based Solutions for AAL

The report illustrates the state of the art of the most successful AAL applications and functions based on audio and video data, namely (i) lifelogging and self-monitoring, (ii) remote monitoring of vital signs, (iii) emotional state recognition, (iv) food intake monitoring, activity and behaviour recognition, (v) activity and personal assistance, (vi) gesture recognition, (vii) fall detection and prevention, (viii) mobility assessment and frailty recognition, and (ix) cognitive and motor rehabilitation. For these application scenarios, the report illustrates the state of play in terms of scientific advances, available products and research project. The open challenges are also highlighted.