A Connecticut woman’s routine DMV visit turned into a humiliating experience when AI facial recognition software repeatedly rejected her photos, telling her she didn’t have a “human face.” The incident highlights growing concerns about how artificial intelligence systems discriminate against people with visible differences and disabilities.
AI System Fails to Recognize Woman With Rare Condition
When Autumn Gardiner visited the Connecticut DMV to update her driver’s license after getting married, what should have been a simple procedure turned into a deeply distressing experience, according to reports. Gardiner, who lives with Freeman-Sheldon syndrome, a rare genetic disorder affecting facial muscles, found herself repeatedly rejected by the state’s AI-powered ID verification system that couldn’t recognize her face.