BONUS! Stoa Policy Debate: FRT School Surveillance (AFF)

Resolved: The United States federal government substantially reform the use of Artificial Intelligence technology

Surveillance in schools has always been a hot topic, but the heat is increasing with the introduction of Facial Recognition Technology (FRT) into thousands of schools across the US. FRT is expensive, prone to error, and doesn’t increase the ability of schools to guard against an active shooter or other potentially dangerous situations. It also harms students’ psychology and teacher relationships, and will adversely affect minorities such as people who are black/Latino, disabled, or just anyone who doesn’t fit the norm. Additionally, the purchasing of expensive FRT systems by school districts has led to the cutting of sports and athletic programs, extracurricular activities, and an increase in the amount of money schools are requesting from already limited state budgets. For these reasons, schools in the US should be stopped from using FRT.