this post was submitted on 23 Feb 2024
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Privacy

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A set of smart vending machines at the University of Waterloo is expected to be removed from campus after students raised privacy concerns about their software.

The machines have M&M artwork on them and sell chocolate and other candy. They are located throughout campus, including in the Modern Languages building and Hagey Hall.

Earlier this month, a student noticed an error message on one of the machines in the Modern Languages building. It appeared to indicate there was a problem with a facial recognition application.

"We wouldn't have known if it weren't for the application error. There's no warning here," said River Stanley, a fourth-year student, who investigated the machines for an article in the university publication, mathNEWS.

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[–] [email protected] 35 points 11 months ago (6 children)

Why the living hell would anyone agree to develop this? What douchbags are doing that job?

[–] [email protected] 16 points 11 months ago (2 children)

There's a lot of people in the world who do, in fact, like to eat.

[–] WhatAmLemmy 22 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

There are also a lot of people, already in the wealthiest upper percentiles, who would implement big brother just to be slightly wealthier.

[–] fuckwit_mcbumcrumble 4 points 11 months ago (1 children)

"I was only following orders"

[–] jaybone 2 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Problem is, if you refuse to do it, they’ll hire another developer who will.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago

The problem is you are the only one they hired

[–] [email protected] 15 points 11 months ago (1 children)

There are people who actually believe that kind of dystopic bullshit, even in the tech sector. I remember a colleague a few years ago, told me he liked targeted ads because "it knew what I wanted"

[–] [email protected] 7 points 11 months ago

Oh boy, those people frustrate me so much. The ones who have a verbal conversation about a topic they’ve never talked about before, like owning a cat, or taking a cruise to Alaska, and then giggle gleefully when they are inundated with cat litter and cruise ship ads wherever they go on the internet.

Some people just don’t care. And that’s actually fine. The ones who do care will try to look after the morons.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Probably exploited labor, similar to those who have no choice but to work in scam call centers to survive.

Pretty unfortunate that things are like this IMO

[–] [email protected] 0 points 11 months ago

I don't think software developers working in AI are "exploited labour just doing it to survive"

[–] [email protected] 6 points 11 months ago

Bro theres plenty of people who run scams in big offices all day every day

[–] [email protected] 6 points 11 months ago

Someone who needs to pay rent