Angela Lip, a 50-year-old American woman, was wrongfully arrested and spent nearly six months in jail after AI facial recognition software incorrectly matched her to a bank fraud suspect. She had no connection to the crime and had never visited the state of North Dakota where the offence occurred.
Investigators ran security camera footage through AI facial recognition software, which flagged similarities in facial features, body build, and hairstyle. Acting on that match alone, they obtained a remote warrant and arrested Angela at her home. Her attorney has criticised law enforcement for relying solely on AI identification without corroborating evidence.
After spending time in jails in Tennessee and North Dakota, her lawyer was able to prove — using bank records — that she was over 1,600 kilometres away at the time of the crime. She was released on Christmas Eve, but received no apology from the authorities involved.
Angela lost her home and her pets as a result of the wrongful imprisonment and has suffered significant psychological trauma. Her attorney is now preparing a civil rights lawsuit. The case is the latest in a growing list of wrongful arrests linked to AI facial recognition misidentification.
