For Discussion: Is It Possible for an HP Computer to be Racist???

We posted a video about this two days ago under our Video section. HP (Hewlett-Packard) has come out with a new webcam equipped with face-tracking software that designed to follow the movements of the user but there is just one little problem. The camera only recognizes white people and not black people.

Don’t Believe Us… Peep the Video Under the Hood

Click Here to Watch Video

Wow… Now, that is crazy!!! How could HP not catch this problem before they released this product. Does HP not test their products on a wide range of people before releasing it to the public. Apparently NOT!!! However, they have seen the video that these two individuals made and released this statement:

Hewlett-Packard’s Statement:

It’s no secret that I feel privileged to work with one of the largest and most innovative teams in the technology industry. On any given day, I might collaborate with HP employees in regions ranging from Japan to India and Latin America to Europe.

Everything we do is focused on ensuring that we provide a high-quality experience for all our customers, who are ethnically diverse and live and work around the world. That’s why when issues surface, we take them seriously and work hard to understand the root causes.

Some of you may have seen or heard of a YouTube video in which the facial-tracking software didn’t work for a customer. We thank Desi, and the people who have seen and commented on his video, for bringing this subject to our attention.

We are working with our partners to learn more. 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. We believe that the camera might have difficulty “seeing” contrast in conditions where there is insufficient foreground lighting. While we work on this, take a look here for more information on the impact of lighting on facial tracking software, and how to optimize your webcam experience: http://bit.ly/7HsZHD

We will continue to listen to you and work to deliver great experiences. We invite you to connect with us on the discussion boards and forums here on The Next Bench or on Twitter at @HP_PC.

So, they want to blame it on lighting… YEAH OKAY!!!