It’s being hailed as a potentially revolutionary breakthrough: a bot that racially profiles Indigenous people who shop online.
The bot, dubbed FollowDem, was unveiled at a ceremony in Mississauga, Ont. on Monday at the lab where it was developed.
“For years, we have longed to continue to follow Indigenous shoppers around not only physically, in stores — but in the digital realm as well,” said Lily Privitor, Vice-President of the Retail Association of Canada and one of the groups behind the development of the bot.
“The future of racial profiling is here and it is now.”
FollowDem kicks in the second Indigenous shoppers visit an online retailer, Privitor excitedly told reporters.
A pair of digital eyes appear on the screen and follow the shopper’s mouse cursor’s every move. If the cursor goes idle for more than a few seconds, the bot is capable of accessing the computer’s webcam so it can watch the shopper in real-time. The bot can even call the police if it believes the Indigenous shopper shouldn’t have a major credit card.
Major Canadian shopping centers are already lining up to get the bot, the Privitor said
“I don’t care how it determines which shopper is Indigenous and which isn’t, I just care that it works,” said Bianca Shikuar, head of Buyer’s Medical Mart.
“I don’t like to use the word ‘gamechanger’ lightly, but this bot is a real gamechanger.”
