AI-enabled plan to end Bengaluru's civic woes meets an unexpected fate

The government has proposed a plan to mount artificial intelligence-enabled cameras on corporation vehicles which will detect potholes, garbage piles, illegal hoardings among other issues.

A new technological experiment that aimed at making Bengaluru roads safer has hit a major road block from the newly formed Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA).

The government has proposed a plan to mount Artificial Intelligence-enabled cameras on corporation vehicles. These cameras will detect potholes, garbage piles, illegal hoardings among other issues.

According to a report by Times of India, this plan was approved by the chief secretary. This plan required corporation vehicles to mount these AI-enabled camera on top of the vehicles. The cameras would constantly gather visuals from across the city.

These visuals would then be looked over by the AI-engine, which would instantly raise any problems with the concerned department paving for an efficient and faster way to deal with civic issues. The project was valued at Rs 3 crore, with 250 camera installed in vehicles assigned to senior officers. 

Prior to the dissolution of BBMP, the Bengaluru admirative body had given the green light for the project in August, with the first batch of 30 units already being delivered to them.

The administrative transitioning of BBMP into GBA halted the project in its tracks. Sources claim, senior officials had strong objections to fitting cameras on their vehicles as the feared their movements would be tracked.

A senior GBA official told Hindustan Times, that they don't believe civic issues should be taken lightly. However, privacy too is very important and tracking of their movements is non-negotiable.

Amid rising civic issues, this plan which could have begun solving the rampant problems Bengaluru is ridden with, has been shelved for now.