Computer-Vision on AI and Society Course

1.3 AI-Powered Exam Proctoring

Thu, 21 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

AI-Powered Exam Proctoring

Context & Systems Architecture

Remote exam proctoring applications (such as Proctorio, Honorlock, and Respondus Monitor) surged during the COVID-19 pandemic and continue to monitor high-stakes testing environments. These applications enforce academic integrity by locking down student web browsers and transforming the student’s personal webcam into a computer-vision surveillance apparatus. The software monitors eye movements, head orientation, ambient audio levels, and keyboard rhythms, automatically compiling a timeline of “suspicious events” for instructor review.

11.1 Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS)

Thu, 21 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS)

Context & Systems Architecture

Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS)—frequently referred to in public discourse as “killer robots”—represent a major shift in the execution of state violence. Unlike remote-piloted drones, where a human operator reviews video feeds and pulls a physical trigger, LAWS are robotic systems equipped with onboard sensor arrays and computer vision software designed to select, track, and engage targets with lethal force entirely on their own. These systems encompass everything from loitering munitions (like the STM Kargu-2 or AeroVironment Switchblade arrays) to autonomous marine vessels, operating at speeds that outpace human command-and-control loops.

2.1 Medical Image Diagnosis (Radiology AI)

Thu, 21 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Medical Image Diagnosis (Radiology AI)

Context & Systems Architecture

Computer-vision algorithms designed for radiology represent one of the most clinically mature applications of AI. FDA-cleared systems built by companies like Aidoc, Viz.ai, and Google DeepMind analyze chest X-rays, head CT scans, and mammograms directly within hospital workflows. These systems function as parallel diagnostic layers, screening medical imagery to flag acute anomalies—such as intracranial hemorrhages, pulmonary embolisms, or malignant nodules—and prioritizing them on a radiologist’s reading queue.

3.2 Facial Recognition in Law Enforcement

Thu, 21 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Facial Recognition in Law Enforcement

Context & Systems Architecture

The integration of computer vision facial recognition tools into law enforcement workflows has fundamentally shifted the nature of police identification. Utilizing both public databases (such as DMV photo repositories and mugshots) and unregulated private scraping systems like Clearview AI, police departments run photos from surveillance clips or mobile devices against millions of identities. While marketed as a pinpoint forensic breakthrough, the real-world execution of these computer vision pipelines has resulted in catastrophic failures, specifically the documented wrongful arrests of innocent individuals due to algorithmic misidentification.

3.5 Automated License Plate Readers (ALPR)

Thu, 21 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Automated License Plate Readers (ALPR)

Context & Systems Architecture

Automated License Plate Readers (ALPR) have quietly transformed municipal roads and highways into a seamless, searchable surveillance dragnet. Built primarily by private corporations like Flock Safety and Vigilant Solutions, ALPR networks utilize optical character recognition (OCR) camera arrays mounted on utility poles, police cruisers, and neighborhood entryways. Rather than tracking individual suspected vehicles under active judicial warrants, these systems capture every single vehicle that passes through their field of view, logging geographical coordinates, precise timestamps, and visual profiles into centralized cloud databases accessible by thousands of law enforcement agencies nationwide.