US surveillance software is being trialed on two estates in North Kensington, London. Kensington and Chelsea Council has admitted the use of the AI system, Fusus, which analyses CCTV images, to keep residents safe. The technology was used recently to apprehend a machete-carrying resident. Councilor Sof McVeigh voiced support for the trial stating that CCTV has an important role in all safety areas.
However, the use of this technology has drawn criticism from some quarters. Independent councilor Emma Dent Coad questioned why Kensington and Chelsea was the only council trialing the software and raised concerns about a step-up from CCTV to AI surveillance. The technology has previously been used to identify activists in Black Lives Matter in the US and Uyghur Muslims in China and it has been banned in the EU.
The topic of surveillance and security technologies has long been a subject of concern for many, with privacy and ethical concerns often expressed. The use of facial recognition and other AI technologies are starting to prompt global efforts to regulate and limit their use to ensure widespread protections.
The local council assured residents that the trial would last for 60 days and would only be implemented if more residents agree
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