AI speed camera hands out mega fine for properly worn seat belt

An Australian AI camera handed out a mega fine to a driver because his girlfriend was allegedly not wearing a seat belt. However, the computer turned out to be dead wrong.

Technology never stands still. Day in and day out, the tech sector works endlessly to come up with new innovations. Unfortunately, these are not always inventions we are waiting for. Moreover, newer and more advanced is by no means always better. A state-of-the-art traffic camera in Brisbane, Australia, recently proved this with verve.

Namely, the device thought to register that a passenger of a passing car was not wearing a seat belt. The system wrote out a fine of no less than 1,100 Australian dollars (666 euros) to the holder of the license plate.

Computer says no

Indeed, upon closer inspection of the images reviewed by the AI, the fined driver concluded that his partner was simply wearing her seat belt. For some reason, she had chosen to tuck the shoulder strap under her vest. An odd (especially in the middle of the Aussie summer) and unwise decision, but not an illegal one.

Because the camera and AI did not record a shoulder strap, however, she was seen as a trespasser. The best man did his story on Reddit and wondered if he should challenge the fine.

Human error

AI traffic cameras that autonomously issue fines sounds pretty 1984. According to the government of Australia’s Queensland state, then, that is not yet the case. The systems do indeed search through imagery themselves for possible violations, but they have no final responsibility.

When a violation is detected, the system sends the images to an “authorized officer” of the tax department. This officer then determines whether a real fine should be issued.

So in addition to robotic error, the above case also involves human error. It is not known whether the aggrieved driver has already proceeded to contest the fine.

Source: u/charliekng07 via Reddit