Are Hewlett Packard PCs Racist?

Check this video out.

A couple of smart workers noticed something when they were playing around with HP’s new webcam that automatically senses when someone enters into the frame (facial recognition), then follows their motions by panning and zooming to keep them center.  One problem:

It seems it doesn’t work on African Americans.

Wanda Zamen, who is Caucasian, and Desi Cryer, who is African American, created a YouTube video that has since gone viral on the Internet testing out the computer’s capabilities. About 20 seconds into the video, Cryer begins to move around, attempting to test the camera out and seeing if it can sense his motion and recognize his face.

Nothing.

Zamen then enters the frame alone and it doesn’t take 2 seconds for the camera to recognize her face and begin following her motions. Cryer enters back into the frame and the sensing abilities seem to cease.

HP has received complaints regarding the technology and is said to be looking into the matter. The cause of the problem?

“The technology we use is built on standard algorithms that measure the difference in intensity of contrast between the eyes and the upper cheek and nose,” wrote Tony Welch, the lead social media strategist for HP’s Personal Systems Group. “We believe that the camera might have difficulty ‘seeing’ contrast in conditions where there is insufficient foreground lighting.”

So, you didn’t check on this before why? Did you not assume that African Americans would be using your computers? It seem to me like someone has dropped the ball and they better pick it up quick before this becomes more of a PR nightmare.

Door closed.

-Damien