Malaysian police wear Chinese start-up’s AI camera to identify suspected criminals
The body-mounted cameras use facial recognition software developed by Chinese start-up Yitu Technology
There is a growing appetite in particular for its advanced surveillance systems, the latest example being a body-mounted camera being used by Malaysian police that employs facial recognition technology to identify suspects.
The Auxiliary Force (AFSB), part of the Royal Malaysia Police Cooperative, has been equipping its officers with the cameras that use cutting-edge facial recognition capabilities designed by the Chinese artificial intelligence start-up Yitu Technology. The system enables officers to promptly compare and match images captured by the body-camera with those stored in the police database.
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The surveillance camera works at night but, for now, only allows officers to review captured video footage to identify people of interest after the event.
“This is a significant step forward for us as we leverage artificial intelligence to increase public safety and security. Looking ahead, AFSB also intends to expand the capabilities of our body-worn camera system to include real-time facial recognition and instant alerts to the presence of persons of interest from criminal watch lists,” said Dato’ Rosmadi Bin Ghazali, CEO of the Auxiliary Force, in a press release.
China is home to a number of leading AI companies, including SenseTime Group, Megvii – also known as Face++ – and Yitu Technology. The country accounted for 48 per cent of the total US$15.2 billion raised by AI start-ups worldwide last year, outstripping the 38 per cent raised by US firms, according to American research firm CB Insights.