Managing the Human Risks of Biometric Applications
MIT Sloan Management Review|Fall 2024
The intimate surveillance afforded by biometric technologies requires managers to consider negative impacts on privacy and human dignity.
Andrew Park, Jayson Killoran, and Jan Kietzmann
Managing the Human Risks of Biometric Applications

In April, Colorado became the first state to mandate that companies protect the privacy of data generated from a person's brain waves, an action spurred by concerns over the commercial use of wearable devices intended to monitor users' brain activity. Use of those and other devices that enable the collection of humans' physiological data warrants robust discussion of the legal and moral implications of the increasing surveillance and datafication of people's lives.

Biometric technologies measure intimate body characteristics or behaviors, such as fingerprints, retinas, facial structure, vein patterns, speech, breathing patterns, brainwaves, gait, keystroke patterns, and other movements. While much activity in the field has focused on authenticating individuals' identities in security applications, some biometric technologies are touted as offering deeper insights into humans' states of mind and behaviors. It's when these biometric capabilities are put into play that companies may endanger consumers' trust.

Managers in some organizations see the potential for analyzing highly granular physiological data to improve operational efficiency. Financial institutions Barclays and Lloyds use heat-sensing devices under desks to monitor which workstations are used frequently in order to improve office layouts, desk assignments, and resource allocation. Mining company BHP uses smart hats that measure brainwaves to detect and track truckers' levels of fatigue, to protect them and improve company safety. These applications can benefit both the companies and their employees.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة Fall 2024 من MIT Sloan Management Review.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة Fall 2024 من MIT Sloan Management Review.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من MIT SLOAN MANAGEMENT REVIEW مشاهدة الكل
Avoiding Harm in Technology Innovation
MIT Sloan Management Review

Avoiding Harm in Technology Innovation

To capitalize on emerging technologies while mitigating unanticipated consequences, innovation managers need to establish a systematic review process.

time-read
10+ mins  |
Fall 2024
Make a Stronger Business Case for Sustainability
MIT Sloan Management Review

Make a Stronger Business Case for Sustainability

When greener products and processes add costs, managers can shift other levers to maintain profitability.

time-read
9 mins  |
Fall 2024
How to Turn Professional Services Into Products
MIT Sloan Management Review

How to Turn Professional Services Into Products

Product-based business models can help services firms achieve greater scale and profitability. But the transformation can be challenging.

time-read
10 mins  |
Fall 2024
Do You Really Need a Chief AI Officer?
MIT Sloan Management Review

Do You Really Need a Chief AI Officer?

The right answer depends on the strategic importance and maturity of AI in your company.

time-read
10+ mins  |
Fall 2024
Where To Next? Opportunity on the Edge
MIT Sloan Management Review

Where To Next? Opportunity on the Edge

Doing business in regions considered less stable or developed can pay off for companies. But they must invest in working with local communities.

time-read
10 mins  |
Fall 2024
Make Smarter Investments in Resilient Supply Chains
MIT Sloan Management Review

Make Smarter Investments in Resilient Supply Chains

Many companies invest in resilience only after a disruption. Applying the concept of real options can help decision makers fortify supply chain capabilities no matter the crisis.

time-read
10+ mins  |
Fall 2024
The Three Traps That Stymie Reinvention
MIT Sloan Management Review

The Three Traps That Stymie Reinvention

Organizational identity, architecture, and collaboration can be either assets or liabilities to pursuing growth in new sectors.

time-read
10+ mins  |
Fall 2024
What Makes Companies Do the Right Thing?
MIT Sloan Management Review

What Makes Companies Do the Right Thing?

Vaccine makers varied widely in their engagement with global public health efforts to broaden access to COVID-19 immunizations. Ethically motivated leadership was a dominant factor.

time-read
10+ mins  |
Fall 2024
Build the Right C-Suite Team for Your Strategy
MIT Sloan Management Review

Build the Right C-Suite Team for Your Strategy

CEOs can foster a more effective leadership team by understanding when to tap senior executives' competitive instincts and when to encourage collaboration.

time-read
10+ mins  |
Fall 2024
A Better Way to Unlock Innovation and Drive Change
MIT Sloan Management Review

A Better Way to Unlock Innovation and Drive Change

A strengths-based approach to building teams can win employee commitment to change and foster an inclusive, agile culture.

time-read
10+ mins  |
Fall 2024