The Key to Smart Technology and Corporate Responsibility

Updated 2024.01.04

Introduction 

A renowned chain pharmacy in the United States has agreed with the Federal Trade Commission to cease using smart facial recognition technology for five years. This incident raises significant implications for us as corporate leaders, highlighting the risks and responsibilities inherent in applying smart technologies. 

Personal Experience 

While working in customer service at a leisurewear retail store, my colleagues and I often discussed stories about customers shoplifting and shared tips on identifying suspicious individuals. Retailers, especially those selling small items, know the challenges in monitoring merchandise due to its abundance, quantity, and size. It's only once a periodic inventory check that missing items are discovered. 

The Common Sense Approach 

It's normal for citizens to call the police when they perceive danger. However, as business decision-makers, we must understand that many behaviors deemed 'suspicious' are typical customer actions. Over-reliance on immature AI technology for making judgments can lead to unnecessary risks.

Exploring the Root Problem - The Double-Edged Sword of Technological Innovation 

In this new economic era, innovative technologies emerge rapidly, but they require time for refinement and improvement. The following points evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of the approach used by the pharmacy: 

Advantages 

-Utilizing existing CCTV data is quick and cost-effective. 

Disadvantages

-The implementation should have informed customers, neglecting their intense need for informed consent. 

-Reliance on a single source of data could lead to biased judgments. 

-Data initially collected for incident investigation is now being used to predict behavior, deviating from its original purpose of collection. 

-Once used for prediction, this data might be permanently retained, posing a serious privacy concern. 

Lessons and Insights for Management

This case teaches us that as decision-makers, we must remain highly vigilant about every detail in our technology choices and strategy execution. While pursuing business efficiency and safety, we must always respect and protect customer privacy rights. 

Conclusion and Call to Action

As leaders of our enterprises, we must find a balance between technological innovation and ethical responsibility. We must ensure that our technology choices and strategies align with business objectives, social responsibility, and brand values. Maintaining continuous vigilance in technology applications is critical to protecting our brand reputation and achieving long-term success in this rapidly changing digital age.