Sainsbury’s sticks with facial recognition despite “false shoplifter” controversy

Sainsbury’s will continue to roll out AI facial recognition to track down shoplifters, undeterred by the uproar over a customer who was wrongfully banned from a supermarket. It wasn’t the first incident involving the technology, but according to the British retailer, it was due to human error—and not the AI’s fault.

Customer ejected from store

Sainsbury’s continues to stand behind its technology, which uses facial recognition to combat shoplifting and violence against staff. The chain plans to expand the use of the tool to approximately 200 stores this year, even though staff mistakenly accused a customer of shoplifting just this month and asked him to leave the store.