Nov 9 -- The Science and Technology Directorate (S&T), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), invites public comment to OMB by December 6, 2021 regarding its request to conduct a survey of public perceptions of four emerging security technologies -- facial recognition technology, risk technology (assesses how likely an event will occur), license plate reader technology, and cell phone location tracking technology.
The purpose of this effort is to conduct a survey to identify the public’s perceptions about the use of emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), including facial recognition. The survey will collect information from the public regarding applications of DHS has already used or piloted AI-based technologies in several of its key functions, including customs and border protection, transportation security, and investigations. However, AI in general and facial recognition in particular are not without public controversy, including concerns about bias, security, and privacy. Therefore, understanding how the public perceives these technologies, and then designing and deploying them in a manner responsive to the public's concerns, is critical in gaining public support for DHS's use of these technologies. Negative public perception can increase the challenges of real-time use of emerging technologies by DHS and other law enforcement agencies, just as positive perceptions can enhance the use of these technologies. To become viable tools, public acceptance of the safety, privacy, accuracy, and transparency of these technologies must be gained. Risks and risk mitigation techniques to sharing data collected and used by these technologies have been identified, but to understand how to best implement which technologies, an understanding of public perceptions is key.
The quantitative information being sought in this project will be extracted from the results of a survey answered by a representative sample of the general public. The contractor for this study, the DHS Federally Funded Research and Development Center, Homeland Security Operational Analysis Center (HSOAC), will assist with the data collection. HSOAC will be using a national sample from the RAND American Life Panel (ALP) that is representative of the United States 18+ population based on gender, age, region, and ethnicity. The survey will ask the public about their perceptions of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies, such as face recognition. All information collected will be on a voluntary basis. DHS will not receive any personally identifying information. Number of Respondents: 3000.
HSOAC will synthesize these results to identify common view on AI/ML use for different government applications in general, and DHS applications in particular. These summaries will be provided to DHS in a report. The information will be used by DHS to inform the acquisition, development, and deployment of these technologies.
S&T submission to OMB:
https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAViewICR?ref_nbr=202103-1640-001 Click IC List for survey instrument, View Supporting Statement for technical documentation. Comments can be submitted through this webpage.
FR notice:
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/11/05/2021-24247/public-perceptions-of-emerging-technology
Point of contact: Kathleen Deloughery, Program Manager kathleen.deloughery@hq.dhs.gov or (202) 254-6189
For AEA members wishing to submit comments, "A Primer on How to Respond to Calls for Comment on Federal Data Collections" is available at
https://www.aeaweb.org/content/file?id=5806