Garrison named one of ‘Washington’s Most Powerful Women’: Mountain Brook resident attracts attention for role with tech firm Clearview AI

Clearview AI in New York City is a company that provides what it says is the world’s largest facial recognition network.

The company has a database of more than 10 billion images taken from social media, websites, news articles, criminal databases and other public sources.

The purpose is to support the investigative work of law enforcement and other government agencies.

The Clearview AI search engine technology and software help identify suspects, solve crimes and provide justice to victims, according to the company.

Clearview AI was named to Time magazine’s inaugural list of the “100 Most Influential Companies” in 2021.

One of the leaders in the effort to sell the benefits of the company’s technology is Jessica Medeiros Garrison, a Mountain Brook resident since 2011 who lives in Crestline.

Garrison has worked for Clearview AI since 2019 and currently serves in Washington, D.C., as the company’s vice president of government affairs.

She takes pride in the company’s technology.

“We are now recognized as the most accurate algorithm in the Western world,” Garrison said.

She believes in the company’s mission.

“There are trillions of publicly available images on the Internet, which provide a tremendous capability for identifying investigative leads and clues to solve crimes and save victims,” she said. “This resonates with me on such a deep level — that this broad and wide-sweeping technology can actually provide a path to setting wrongs right.”

And Garrison was recently recognized for her advocacy for Clearview AI.

In October, “Washingtonian” magazine named Garrison to its list of “Washington’s Most Powerful Women” under the category of lobbying and advocacy for her role in helping to sell Clearview AI’s technology.

Being named one of Washington’s most powerful women “was not something I anticipated or campaigned for,” Garrison said.

“I was completely surprised when a friend forwarded me a photo of the announcement article,” she said. “I am humbled and a bit overwhelmed.”

“The fact that my work and my calling are making a difference fuels me to work even harder,” she said.

Garrison also does “not take the words ‘power’ and ‘powerful’ lightly,” she said.

“When you are fortunate enough to be in a position to effect change, you assume a certain measure of responsibility,” she said. “I take my opportunities to influence opinions and to help shape outcomes seriously, envisioning the outcome for the people who will be most impacted.”

Garrison, whose family is originally from Rhode Island, grew up and graduated from high school in Midland City, Alabama.

She earned a B.A. in consumer affairs from the University of Alabama in 1997.

Garrison got involved in politics at the university, even though she had other plans when she went to school there.

“I had every intention of being a Bama cheerleader when I arrived on campus,” she said. “I had led my high school squad.”

However, Garrison didn’t make the university squad and turned her energy in another direction, serving as a delegate to the convention that wrote a new constitution for the Student Government Association.

“It was a perfect fit and historically significant because the SGA had recently disbanded,” Garrison said. “I played a key role in structuring its return. My efforts gave me purpose — and ultimately, I became the second elected woman to serve as SGA president.”

After graduation, Garrison served as director of legislative affairs and public information in the office of Bill Pryor, who was then Alabama Attorney General.

Pryor also helped lead Garrison to another key moment in her career.

“His standard was high and inspired me to a legal career of my own,” Garrison said.

She graduated from the University of Alabama School of Law in 2000.

Her work history includes stints at two law firms, including Phelps, Jenkins, Gibson & Fowler LLP in Tuscaloosa, according to her LinkedIn page.

Garrison served for several years as executive director of the Republican Attorneys General Association.

She also managed the successful 2010 Luther Strange campaign for Alabama Attorney General.

Her duties at Clearview AI  include customer relations, educating users, sales, speaking engagements and governmental relations.

Part of Garrison’s role at Clearview is to help push back on criticisms of the company and its mission.

“The firm’s innovative facial-recognition technology frightens a lot of civil libertarians,” Washingtonian said in its listing about Garrison.

“Fear comes simply from people not understanding,” Garrison said. “They do not understand the technology and the protections we have put in place.”

She stresses that each image in the company’s massive database is available publicly over the Internet.

“Nothing is being hidden,” she said.

“Clearview AI offers transparency and accountability.”

The technology at Clearview AI helps a lot of people, Garrison said.

“We help hospitals identify patients literally dropped off at the door, unable to relay accurate information for themselves about their identity,” she said. “We help public safety personnel reconnect someone with dementia or Alzheimer’s with their loved ones.”

Garrison, whose son Michael is a ninth grader, said she fights to keep children safe and believes Clearview AI can help.

“The prolific preying upon and abusing children is something I don't think our society grasps, yet,” Garrison said. “There are so very many threats lying in wait for children — from infants to teens. The more I have learned, the more committed I am to using all weapons in my arsenal to fight back and to effect change. We can no longer ignore the problems. My work with Clearview AI certainly provides answers.”

Clearview’s AI technology helps identify victims of sexual trafficking so they can be rescued, Garrison said.

“The key word is rescue … to remove these young and helpless victims from a cycle of abuse,” she said. “They cannot do it on their own; they have nowhere to turn.”

Clearview AI “provides a lifeline for endangered adults and missing children and a means to bring the justice system to bear against sexual predators, violent criminals and traffickers — firearms, drugs, humans, wildlife — who might otherwise have remained in the shadows.”

In addition to advocating for Clearview AI, Garrison speaks up strongly for her adopted hometown.

“I feel like Mountain Brook is home, and I love it,” Garrison said.

Garrison praises Mountain Brook for its “three villages with delightful offerings” and its  “walkable access” to schools, grocery stores, pharmacies and the post office.

“And I love the restaurant scene,” she said.

“Mountain Brook is all about the people,” she said. “Not only are they kind and caring, but also these are people who achieve in the world. They’re in medicine and business, in law and entrepreneurship. They constantly inspire me as leaders and visionaries who aim to make the world a better place.”

Time will show that Clearview AI and its technology will also help make the world a better place, Garrison believes.

“New advances take time to understand and accept but we feel the successes — so many successes — will come to define its role in our new world,” she said.