Amazon’s Ring is adding a new AI tool to its video doorbells. The feature, called “Familiar Faces,” uses facial recognition to spot known visitors. It started rolling out this week in the US.
The tool lets users label people like family or friends. When they show up, alerts say “Mom at door” instead of just “person detected.” Amazon says it runs on the device for speed and privacy. Users must turn it on in the app. It stays off by default.
To use it, open the Ring app. Go to settings. Pick “Familiar Faces.” Add names from video history. The system holds up to 50 faces. It deletes unlabeled ones after 30 days. Data stays encrypted.
Amazon claims this boosts home safety. Alerts get clearer. Users skip false alarms from strangers. It works on most Ring doorbells and cams.
But many worry about privacy. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) calls it risky. They say it could track people without consent. Strangers walking by might get scanned. US Senator Ed Markey wants Amazon to stop it. He fears misuse of face data by police.
Ring has faced heat before. It shared videos with cops in the past. Now, this AI adds more eyes. Experts fear a network of home cams watching neighborhoods.
Amazon says it follows laws. No data goes to police without user okay. But groups like EFF push for tests on state rules.
Rollout hits eligible users now. Check your app for updates. Some pick the ease. Others say no to the watch. The debate heats up as AI homes grow.
