The new World Trade Center will be monitored with AI cameras

The new World Trade Center complex in New York will be protected by a system of AI cameras capable of detecting unusual behavior, provided by the company Behavioral Recognition Systems.

The new World Trade Center complex (WTC) in New York (EU), which will open in 2013, will have hundreds of cameras with “brains”, ready to detect unusual movements and prevent the building complex from being targeted by attacks for the third time in its history. A company specializing in military security will install “cameras equipped with AI and capable of detecting abnormal behavior”.

The president of Behavioral Recognition Systems, John Frazzini, has explained to BBC Mundo that he cannot give details of the 'Ground Zero' security plan, but he has described how the cameras will operate, which will be installed in an area that spans 6.5 hectares and will include office buildings, a shopping center, the memorial for the victims of the attacks of 11 September, a transportation terminal, and public spaces.

Cameras on alert

A team of smart cameras will monitor all movements in the new complex. After a few days of recording on site, the cameras will process the normal activity of the space they monitor and go on alert when they detect new movements, such as a person suddenly changing direction or running toward pedestrians, or leave a bag or package on the ground. The cameras will also react when a car parks in a space not intended for this use or remains parked for a long period.

The software will monitor movements “generic” of people, who will not be identified. Spaces like public restrooms will be outside the operating range of the machines. “We respect the privacy of citizens and the cameras do not capture or record information about specific individuals”, Frazzini has pointed out.