In March , a gunman walked into two mosque in Christchurch , New Zealand , opened flack , and killed dozens of believer . agree to a police official , the suspected gunman was arrested 36 minutes after police were call to the scene . Now , a tech company believes its smart security system cameras can prevent approach like the calamity in Christchurch , and says it plans toinstall its AI - power systemsin mosque around the humankind .
Athena Security , the tech company behind the certificate organization , and Al - Ameri International Tradingannounced the Keep Mosques Safe initiative last hebdomad . Al - Ameri International Trading , along with several Islamic non - profit groups , will fund the Keep Mosques Safe endeavour . The Al - Noor Mosque , one of the two aim mosques in the Christchurch attack , will be one of the first to have the alive shooter espial system installed at the place of adoration .
“ The hoi polloi shooting at the Al - Noor Mosque was an unspeakable catastrophe that no community should have to suffer , ” Athena Security co - father and CEO Lisa Falzonesaid in a press statement . “ The Keep Mosques Safe initiative is an important step in giving mosque the puppet to better protect themselves from extremist individuals that bid to do them harm , so we can help prevent hideous event like this in the time to come . ”
Photo: Getty
The scheme can reportedly discover an active shooter before they open fire and then ease off the security system scourge to law of nature enforcement and first responders . “ In today ’s more and more uncertain security mood , certificate cameras are becoming increasingly vulgar everywhere from domicile to businesses , from schools to stadiums,”the Athena Security web site states . “ One of the biggest headwinds to cameras is the need for skilled trade union movement to supervise the provender . A guard stepping out to get coffee at the wrong moment can generate a security organization useless . ”
Athena claims on its website that current surety systems are flawed because they are n’t preventive , they are susceptible to false alarms , and they require constant human labor . Its AI - power technical school allegedly “ detects a weapon , automatically warning signal , and notifies the shooter that they have been spotted and authorities are on the direction . ” The website does n’t go into a lot of particular on exactly how its tech work , or what its accuracy rate is , it just states that it “ analyzes multiple data points in existent time ” to identify potential criminal natural process .
There ’s nothing inherently wrong with people want to finger safer in the viewing of mean and crushing flack at their place of adoration . The doubt is whether this AI - power triggerman espial arrangement is both ethical and good . Rolling out powerful surveillance tools as a chemical reaction to atrocious act of wildness is hardly revelatory , but to engagement , most of these systems raise some essential concerns aroundprivacyandbias .
Aside from these issues that still mostly plague the AI space , it ’s also unclear whether this type of system of rules will even work on . Surveillance systems power by AI have yet to evidence themselves impressively accurate . Perhaps Athena ’s proprietary technical school is a gamechanger , but without any evidence pointing to successes in similarly vulnerable position — terrorist blast at spiritual introduction — these “ resolution ” should be viewed with mental rejection .
It ’s also deserving take down that AI surveillance technology isbeing weaponizedin more tyrannical share of the world as a way to identify and trail ethnic minority . But what ’s patent is that increasingly extreme and tragical situations like the Christchurch attack are driving hoi polloi in less repress regions to voluntarily follow themselves in even their most intimate spaces . It illustrate the complex kinship between surveillance and fear , and when the latter preponderate the potential consequences of the former ’s failure , the length we are uncoerced to go to feel just a picayune bit safe .
Update 5:51pm : An Athena spokesperson told Gizmodo in a instruction that its AI - powered detection organization can identify artillery and “ belligerent behaviors ” and that it is train on “ highly realistic video ” the squad produce with law enforcement . The spokesperson also claimed that the security scheme can discover these factors “ with 99 % truth in three endorsement . ” Full instruction below :
“ Athena Security ’s organisation can be deploy within a system that in force suits our customers ’ needs , whether they are individual places of adoration like mosque or with businesses or other customers . We can integrate our arrangement with existing cameras and establish an alert system that best fits their needs . If a client has on - site surety , we can set up a system that alerts security system in the event of a threat and allows them to evaluate and reassert the threat before alarm law enforcement . We can also mix with other arrangement like lift and door locks , reckon on our customer ’s motivation .
“ Our organization is focused on key out artillery and aggressive behaviors , and is train using extremely naturalistic videos we develop , farm and shoot with the help of law enforcement to ensure the highest level of timber in training our contrived intelligence political platform . Athena can notice weapons or strong-growing behaviour with 99 % accuracy in three seconds . ”
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