Berlin tests AI-powered video surveillance system — The Local Germany

Berlin police in Germany have begun testing an artificial intelligence-based video surveillance system in the Kottbusser Tor area, one of the capital’s locations with a high crime rate. As reported by The Local Germany, the pilot project will last four weeks, during which the technology will be configured before its full launch.

Behaviour analysis without facial recognition

The new system, referred to as “spatial artificial intelligence” technology, does not use facial recognition. It analyses people’s movement patterns and behaviour to detect possible crimes, acts of violence or emergencies.

Police said the technology is intended to distinguish normal activity from situations requiring a response. According to law enforcement’s plan, this should reduce the number of false alarms. Police officers will decide whether intervention is possible in each case. If the trial is deemed successful, the system may be expanded to other designated areas of Berlin.

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Criticism and legal challenge

The project has already drawn criticism from civil liberties advocates and political opponents. The Left party and the Greens have challenged the law that served as the basis for launching the system.

Representatives of these parties warn that the new technology could contribute to the creation of an excessive state database. They also point to uncertainty over how the collected data may be used in the future. The debate over video surveillance in Germany is particularly sensitive because of the historical experience of state surveillance under the Nazi regime and the Stasi in East Germany.