America's IBM has ended its facial recognition business and raised concerns about how police forces might be using the technology. IBM and other major technology companies have been developing facial recognition systems using machine learning methods and artificial intelligence, or AI. Facial recognition systems are designed to identify individuals in photo databases or from video surveillance. Facial recognition accuracy has greatly improved in recent years. The technology is used by police in several major cities and by some U.S. government agencies. Privacy groups and civil rights activists have criticized such use of the technology. Several studies have shown the technology can have difficulties correctly guessing a person’s race or sex. Critics say such failures could violate a person’s civil rights. Activists have also warned that facial recognition systems could be used for mass surveillance of citizens.