If you've tried or are attempting to get through subway turnstiles without paying, you might want to reconsider. Some New York City subways are now equipped with AI technology that can detect fare dodgers and plans to expand the feature to other subway locations as well.
Fare Dodging Detection
The Metropolitan Transporation Authority (MTA) of New York already admitted that its cameras are capable of detecting people who don't pay their fares, although the corporation says that the measure is solely for "research purposes."
The MTA uses AI software for detection, which they claim serves as a counting tool. The corporation's spokesperson Joana Flores says that it was not for tracking and scanning, as it is used to "quantify the amount of fare evasion without identifying fare evaders."
Officials plan to expand the detection tool's application by adding them to around two dozen more stations before the year ends, even expanding further after that. This sparked concerns from people who use public transportation.
Aside from the potential of the software to raise privacy risks, civil liberties groups expressed that it also takes away resources from efforts to make mass transit more affordable and accessible, as mentioned in Gizmodo.
The AI software was created by AWAAIT, a Barcelona-based software company. The company claims that it has "robust" accuracy in analysis. Its records show that around 12% of transit riders duck under the turnstile, while 20% would hop over them.
More than 50% of the passengers were detected to have walked through open emergency gates. There's also a possibility that the remaining percentage could just be following the person after them before the gate closes.
Upon detection, ticket inspectors will get an alert through an app, which also comes with surveillance footage of the offenders and other transit riders. Based on the video posted by AWAAIT, the faces are blurred out to avoid including the identity of the offender.
Governor Kathy Hochul has already stated last year that they plan to install surveillance cameras in public transit for public safety. She also mentioned that if people were concerned about it, then they should not commit any crimes on the subways.
New York Has Lost Millions Due to Fare Evasion
The surveillance measure is likely to address the persistent problem of transit riders in subways, even if they claim that it is for "research purposes" only. Despite having police officers manning the turnstiles, there are still people making it through without paying.
This has resulted in the transit system losing $690 million to fare evasion in 2022, according to The New York Times. Aside from surveillance through AI software, the MTA plans to improve bus systems as well where most fare evasions happen.
Concerns were raised about how the approach might target the city's most vulnerable people, as well as poor New Yorkers who may not be able to afford the fare on a daily basis, which is why part of the plan is to boost a program that can subsidize the cost of public transportation.
