Researchers Wanted Preschool Teachers to Wear Cameras to Train AI

[pnwmom]

Source: 404 media

University of Washington researchers planned to have preschool teachers wear cameras that would record everything they saw from a first-person perspective, including the children they were teaching, then use that footage to develop AI models. Crucially, the program was presented as opt-out, rather than opt-in, meaning that parents had to take steps to prevent recordings of their children being processed by AI.

“With your permission, your child’s lead teacher may wear a small teacher-worn camera that captures the teacher's approximate first-person perspective, and/or we may place a fixed video camera in the classroom,” a document given to parents and later shared with 404 Media reads. “These videos simply capture the normal interactions between teachers and children during regular classroom activities. Recordings occur during morning program hours up to 150 minutes, up to 4 visits in one month. Your child will not be asked to do anything new or different. Their daily routine will stay exactly the same.”

404 Media has repeatedly covered how AI is permeating through education. That includes students using AI themselves, and even the creation of entire AI-powered schools. Now, the University of Washington research shows how AI data collection is pushing into early childhood education too.

Or, it would have, if parents didn’t revolt. After a backlash, the University of Washington told 404 Media it has now shelved the planned research.

Read more: https://www.404media.co/researchers-wanted-preschool-teachers-to-wear-cameras-to-train-ai/

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Good for these parents. The written consent was designed on an opt-out basis, and many attendees were non-native speakers.