The Construction Bank of China has recently introduced facial recognition technology at its automatic teller machines (ATM), according to Xinhua.
The bank limits the daily withdrawal to 2,500 yuan ($380) via the technology. Other banks, such as the Agricultural Bank of China (ABC) and China Merchants Bank have also introduced similar technology at their ATMs.
Without a bank card, customers can press the facial recognition withdrawal button, scan their face, enter their phone number or ID number, and enter their transaction amount and password, said a staff of ABC.
The technology eliminates the risk of having bank cards illegally copied and lowers the possibility of cards getting eaten by ATMs, said industry insiders.
The technology is safe, because it also requires ID numbers or phone numbers and passwords. Banks have adopted infrared cameras to lower the risk of illegal activities.
Videos and photos of customers withdrawing money will be encrypted by the banks, in a bid to protect their personal information. Chinese scientists are working on quantum encryption technology to better protect personal information.
Liu Feng, an AI expert, said the risks of personal information leaks are not high, because banks already have mature safety precaution mechanisms, and the photos and videos would not cause very serious consequences even if they were leaked.
ABC reportedly plans to install facial recognition technology at 24,064 ATMs across the country. In 2016, China Merchants Bank expanded facial recognition technology to about 1,000 ATMs in 106 cities.
