Amazon COVID-19 Distance Assistant prompts privacy concerns

A system introduced by Amazon to enforce social distancing in its US warehouses during the COVID-19 pandemic prompted skepticism about its privacy and surveillance implications.

Comprising a 50-inch monitor, depth sensors and AI-enabled camera, Amazon's Distance Assistant provides real-time feedback to workers by displaying live video of people walking past, with red circles highlighting individuals maintaining 6 feet distance and red circles to highlight those who are too close. 

The system was initially deployed in a few facilities and then expanded to hundreds more. Amazon said it would open-source the software and AI behind the Distance Assistant, allowing other businesses to create similar systems - a move presented as an effort to promote wider adoption of social distancing technologies.