Surveillance and Artificial Intelligence go hand in hand. Scientists managed to engineer AI facial tracking bots that are able to narrowly track down persons of Interest, with a 12.5% accuracy. This might seem low now, but in the future, this number is bound to rise. Now, with the recent Coronavirus Pandemic looming over our heads, scientists at Carnegie Mellon, who developed AI-powered traffic stops in 2014, have been able engineer AI in CCTV cameras, which employ “patient tracking” software, used identify those potential infected at risk.

Policing Through AI

Recently, public sentiments against the police have soured. TV Shows like the 2019 version of The Watchmen, have shed the blue bloods in a dire light. It’s safe to say that the people working behind the uniform are people as well. Policing software has existed for quite some time now, although not as effective as one would like. With the recent Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, a new facial recognition software has sprung up, that can partially do the police’s job for them.

Developed by China, it cannot track facial features, but only potentially criminal behavior. Before you have thoughts of dictatorial regimes popping through your head, criminal behavior here implies deluding or hiding from the authorities, and withholding cases of Covid-19. Couching incessantly, sneezing, looking pale, etc. are tells for this Engineer AI.

While we have a long way to implement proper police reform, steps like these would ease soft-criminality, by allowing officials to engineer AI tracking machines, who look out for the Coronavirus now, and will criminals later.