Reconhecimento facial com IA e racismo estrutural : história pública digital e usos didáticos na crítica às tecnologias de vigilância

Abstract

This monograph investigates the relationships between Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based facial recognition technologies, structural racism, and the teaching of history, focusing on the central question: How do AI-based facial recognition technologies, implemented in Brazil between 2010 and 2025, reproduce and perpetuate historical practices of surveillance and racialized control of the Black population? The analysis begins with the understanding that algorithmic systems are not neutral technologies, but rather socio-technical artifacts shaped by historical power relations, capable of reproducing inequalities when developed and applied in contexts marked by structural racism. The overall objective is to conduct a historical analysis of the implementation and use of AI-based facial recognition technologies in Brazil, identifying their continuities with racialized surveillance practices and proposing educational uses of Digital Public History for the development of anti-racist digital literacy in K-12 education. This research is scientifically justified by the need to expand interdisciplinary studies on the History of Science and Technology, Digital Public History, algorithmic surveillance, and the teaching of history, thereby contributing to a critical understanding of the historical, social, ethical, and political implications of Artificial Intelligence. The study traces the historical genealogy of practices aimed at identifying and controlling the Black population since the 19th century; it analyzes the implementation of facial recognition technologies in the Brazilian context, particularly following major sporting events and their expansion beginning in 2019; it examines algorithmic racism through documented cases of false identifications and wrongful arrests; and it discusses national and international debates regarding the regulation of these technologies. As an educational resource, it presents an antiracist teaching curriculum consisting of six units focused on teaching artificial intelligence, facial biometrics, algorithmic racism, human rights, digital ethics, data protection, and digital citizenship, aligned with the competencies and skills outlined in the BNCC (Brazil, 2018) and the BNCC Computing (Brazil, 2022). Methodologically, this study is characterized as a qualitativequantitative investigation of a historical-documentary nature, supplemented by statistical analysis of data regarding the use of facial recognition in Brazil. Primary sources include reports from human rights organizations, legislation, public documents, and news reports, while secondary sources encompass books, scientific articles, dissertations, theses, and documents found in databases such as the CAPES Journal Portal, SciELO, Google Scholar, and Litmaps. In terms of social impact, the research aims to strengthen critical historical education and anti-racist digital literacy, providing theoretical and methodological support for the training of students and teachers capable of understanding, critically analyzing, and evaluating the use of artificial intelligence technologies in light of human rights, algorithmic justice, personal data protection, and democratic principles, thereby contributing to the development of a more ethical, inclusive, and socially responsible digital culture.