ExamSofts proctoring software has a face-detection problem

Gabe Teninbaum, a professor at Suffolk University Law School, is calling on ExamSoft to fix a serious bug with its test-taking software: failure to recognize faces. It’s a problem that can delay test takers — or bar them from starting their exams altogether — and per reports, it disproportionately impacts people with dark skin tones.

ExamSoft’s software records students while they complete remote exams and monitors for signs of academic dishonesty. Teninbaum’s report addresses an ExamSoft feature called ExamID, which aims to verify that test-takers are who they say they are. The first time a student logs into their exam portal, they upload a photo of themselves (their “baseline image”); they’re then prompted to take another selfie...

Continue reading…