Tirupati Temple to Use AI And Facial Recognition

A Digiyatra of sorts for devotees—that is what the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) is initiating for crowd control in the Andhra Pradesh temple that sees between 60000 to 80000 visitors every day. A note from its executive officer says  artificial intelligence (AI) and facial recognition are going to be used for pilgrims to have a better experience and make the temple management more efficient.

For instance, when tokens are given out with time slots to visitors, their faces will be captured by the system. By matching it against the database so created, duplicate bookings can be prevented. It thwarts impersonation and makes the process quicker. The note adds, ‘Facial recognition and facial detection will also be extended for all the services wherever applicable, like accommodation, access controls etc.’  AI enabled cameras will be present across the facility, which will help give precise estimates for time taken in queues, which then can be used to patch up fault-lines.  The solutions ‘are under proof of concept through various service providers.’

The advantages are obvious in bringing technology to create order in unwieldy gatherings, which all major temples are subject to. However, there are potential concerns. Privacy, for one. There is not really going to be an opt-out clause. It is one thing for the state to have facial data of millions of Indians, but for such an entity to own it would need regulations for safeguards against misuse, or even to keep it secure against theft. Informed consent can be assumed from literate visitors to faces being captured and they can choose to no go to the temple if they consider it a breach or privacy. A huge number of pilgrims are however uneducated and don’t understand technology. They would be following the system without appreciating how it connects to their privacy.

There is also the question of what happens with a glitch, where the recognition does not match because of an error. How would the grievance be redressed? Given how nascent the technology is, many unforeseen questions will also come up. But facial recognition as a regular feature in society is an inevitability.

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