Sun Sep 15 16:40:00 UTC 2024: ## South Korea Unveils AI System to Predict and Prevent Crimes

**SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA** – A new AI system called Dejaview, developed by South Korea’s Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI), is aiming to prevent crimes before they happen. The system analyzes CCTV footage to identify potential criminal activity, using machine learning to identify patterns and assess risk.

Dejaview works in two key ways. Firstly, a **time/space-based prediction model** analyzes factors such as time of day, location, and past incident records to determine the risk of a crime occurring. For example, if a quiet, isolated location shares similar environmental factors with a past late-night crime, the system flags it as a high-risk zone. This allows authorities to monitor those areas more closely and deploy resources proactively.

Secondly, **individual-centered recidivism prediction** focuses on individuals deemed likely to repeat offenses. By tracking their movements, the system can predict if their behavior indicates a potential for future criminal activity.

Dejaview was trained on a massive dataset of over 32,000 CCTV clips spanning three years, enabling it to recognize patterns and apply that knowledge to live scenarios. In field tests using data from Seocho city, the system achieved an accuracy of 82.8%.

While the technology holds promise for improving public safety, concerns about potential privacy violations and Orwellian implications are being raised. ETRI currently intends to use Dejaview primarily in public safety infrastructure like airports, energy facilities, factories, and national event monitoring. Commercial use for specialized security agencies is anticipated by the end of 2025.

This development is not unique to South Korea. Argentina has also established an AI unit aimed at preventing, detecting, and prosecuting criminals by analyzing data beyond CCTV, including social media, websites, and the dark web. The emergence of these AI-powered crime prediction systems raises important questions about the balance between security and privacy in a technologically advanced world.

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