Inside Sydney council’s bold new AI surveillance plan where cameras scan city streets for potential criminals

The City of Sydney Council is proposing a major shake-up of its security camera network, with artificial intelligence set to monitor public spaces and flag suspicious behaviour before a crime is committed. The proposed technology would use AI to analyse CCTV footage and identify unusual activity, including people running, vehicles travelling in the wrong direction, crowds gathering and suspicious items being left behind.

Sydney council proposes AI surveillance to detect crime It could also alert operators to people carrying weapons, allowing authorities to investigate potential incidents in real time. The technology would work by identifying patterns of movement across the council’s extensive CCTV network, with alerts sent to operators when something out of the ordinary is detected. How the surveillance system will work Former NSW Police Superintendent Robert Critchlow told Sunrise the proposed system could help police identify potential threats at a time when officers are already under pressure. “If someone has a firearm with them, like in Bondi, for example, or if someone’s in the wrong place at the wrong time, late at night, near someone’s home, going near a car or something at a time that shouldn’t be,” he said, “It says to you, have a look at this as an alarm.

Check the video and see what’s going on.” But while the technology is being touted as a major boost to public safety, questions have been raised about how much surveillance is too much. The privacy risks of AI-powered surveillance Critchlow stressed the proposed system was not designed to scan people’s faces or automatically identify individuals. He said the distinction was important, noting facial recognition is already being used broadly. “Westfield are scanning your faces all the time,” he said. “They’re actually now using ads which go off your facial features, your age, your demographics. They’re now targeting with ads. “Every time you open your phone, you’re scanning your face biometrically.

You’re giving away a lot of data in your normal life.” Critchlow acknowledged the concerns, arguin safeguards would be essential to ensure the technology was being used responsibly. “Like most things, as long as the rules are there and the protections are in place, it should be safe,” he said. He described the proposed system as the next evolution of CCTV, arguing the sheer volume of cameras now in operation makes it impossible for human operators to monitor every feed.