AI to flag suspicious behavior on New York City subways

New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) plans to use AI to automatically detect suspicious activity on subway platforms and alert police. According to MTA head of security Michael Kemper, the goal is “predictive prevention.” The software analyzes live feeds from surveillance cameras, but will not use facial recognition, MTA spokesperson Aaron Donovan said. The move comes after a series of attacks on the subway. Civil liberties groups, including the NYCLU, have criticized the plan as excessive. NYCLU policy counsel Justin Harrison warned that AI systems are prone to mistakes and could worsen existing inequalities. The MTA has now installed surveillance cameras on every subway platform and inside every train car, with about 40 percent of them monitored in real time.