Comment by margalabargala

14 hours ago

> I don't think people want this

There was a comment made here a month or two ago, about someone from a SE Asia country (I forget which; maybe Bangladesh?) talking about how their government installed AI traffic enforcement cameras all over, and they went from one of the deadliest, most chaotic road systems in the world to Singapore-level rule-following in the space of just a couple months.

As a result, the cameras have become quite popular because there's less traffic, travelling is easier and more predictable, and road deaths have plummeted.

I imagine there are a number of similar situations in every country, where the deployment of AI surveillance has a sufficiently measurably positive impact that it becomes popular.

10 comments

margalabargala

Reply
zahlman  14 hours ago

> their government installed AI traffic enforcement cameras all over

What does the AI actually do? Identify specific cars and their drivers, or something? What actual enforcement actions were taken as a result, and against how many drivers before it stopped?

One might wonder how much of the effect was placebo (i.e., people conforming simply due to the belief of being surveilled).

  • margalabargala  13 hours ago

    > What does the AI actually do? Identify specific cars and their drivers, or something?

    Yes, exactly. It identifies cars and drivers who are committing traffic violations, and issues citations.

    I don't have the specific numbers you ask for, seeing as I can't even remember the country, but it's not difficult to imagine that if sufficiently many such cameras are installed that most moving violations on major roadways are caught and punished, then yes, people will come to (reasonably) believe that the cost of committing the violation is close to the price of the fine, rather than close to zero.

    It's one thing to blow by a pedestrian crossing the street, it's another to do so knowing you'll probably be charged $150 (or whatever) for having done it.

    • andai  8 hours ago

      There was an article on the front page today titled something like "incentives are for schmucks", which I didn't like very much.

      In this case, incentives are for people who'd like to reduce traffic deaths.