Major retailer turns on scanning of customers’ faces if they buy knives
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If you want to buy kitchen knives online at John Lewis, you’ll need to convince AI you’re over 18. The retailer took sharp knives offline over 15 years ago in 2009, and went a step further in 2022 to remove cutlery knives too, because it was too difficult to verify the age of customers.
![[John Lewis using AI to scan customers faces if they try to buy knives online]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/SEI_236812597-ab4b.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
They have now listed all knives again, because they say they’re confident they can now verify age accurately using artificial intelligence. It comes during a national debate about stricter checks on buying knives, after Southport killer Axel Rudakubana was able to purchase the murder weapon he used to kill three young girls as well as other knives on Amazon, despite being 17.
![[John Lewis using AI to scan customers faces if they try to buy knives online]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/SEI_236924857-66d8-e1737551381620.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
The facial age estimation technology used by John Lewis is powered by Yoti, which claims to be better than a human at ascertaining age. When people put knives in their basket, they will be informed they must be willing to use their device’s camera to prove their age.
![[John Lewis using AI to scan customers faces if they try to buy knives online]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/SEI_236906609-b122.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
They will need to place their face within an outline using their front facing camera, in a similar way to if you use a machine to take a passport photo. The software then analyses the image, saying ‘Estimating age’ and then ‘Deleting scan’. You don’t get to find out what age it actually thinks you are, but if you’re deemed to be an adult you will be able to go on and pay.
