City of Sydney drafts AI CCTV rules to flag unusual behaviour, without facial recognition

The City of Sydney has drafted an updated code of practice for its Street Safety Camera Program that would allow AI software to alert security operators to "unusual behaviours" in CCTV footage, according to October council papers obtained by news.com.au. The program runs more than 100 cameras across the city around the clock.

Under the draft, the AI, "either built into the camera operation or additional add-on software", would flag when a person leaves or removes an object, when a vehicle travels in the wrong direction, or when a crowd suddenly gathers or runs. The proposal also includes search tools for features such as sex, age, clothing colour, hair colour, bags, and vehicle type and colour. It states that the technology "will not involve the use of biometric identification systems including facial recognition systems".

"The proposed new draft code of practice would allow the City of Sydney to procure AI-supported software that can help identify public safety risks in CCTV footage," a council spokeswoman said, adding that a staff member would still need to view and verify what is happening before taking action. The proposal will be placed on public exhibition before any final decision.