AI traffic cam gets it wrong, motorist fined R7,000
Just another reason why we cannot fully migrate to an AI-run world...
We are familiar with the concept of artificial intelligence and what it was created to do.
But after hearing our fair share of stories with AI featuring as the lead, we have come to realise that sometimes artificial intelligence isn't all that intelligent.
Just as humans err, so do machines. We can assume the only difference is that humans get warnings or some sort of consequence for their actions, but we're not sure what happens with AI.
"A Dutch man was fined 380 euros ($400) after an AI-powered camera caught him talking on his phone while driving. Only he claims he was only scratching his head and the system made a mistake." (Oddity Central)
That's R7,580.00.
Tim Hansen received the fine last November for allegedly talking on the phone whilst driving. Since he did not recall speaking on the phone while driving that day, he decided to consult the Central Judicial Collection Agency.
When he first viewed the image, it looked like he was talking on the phone. But upon closer examination, it can be seen that he isn't holding anything in his hand
"He was simply scratching the side of his head and the camera mistook the position of his hand for it holding a phone. What is even more baffling is that the human who checked the photo and validated his fine didn’t spot the “false positive” either." (Oddity Central)
Hansen, who works in IT, explained how the AI camera system, Monocam, works and it turns out this was a false positive.
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He advised that the system needed to include more images of motorists with nothing in their hands. Sadly, even this might not be enough to ensure false positives don't occur.
"The Dutch driver has contested the fine and expects a positive outcome, but he will now have to wait up to 26 weeks for an official verdict." (Oddity Central)
His story went viral in neighbouring countries like Belgium, which showed interest in implementing this sort of camera system on their roads. But clearly, it is not that reliable, even with a human checking it.
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Image Courtesy of iStock/OLEKSANDR KOZACHOK