The Guardian in the Machine
I was struck by the news that the Supreme Court of India is considering the use of AI-powered CCTV systems in police stations to prevent custodial deaths (To stop lock-up deaths, SC eyes AI-controlled CCTVs at thanas | India News - The Times of India). A bench comprising Justices B R Gavai and Sandeep Mehta is looking into a solution that moves beyond passive recording to active, intelligent monitoring. This is a profound step, one that leverages technology not for profit or convenience, but for the fundamental protection of human life and dignity.
For too long, CCTVs in such sensitive locations have been mere recorders of tragedy, their footage reviewed only after the damage is done. The proposal to integrate AI changes the paradigm entirely. An AI system can be trained to recognize signs of distress, violence, or medical emergencies in real-time. It can be an unbiased, unblinking eye that alerts higher authorities the moment a line is crossed. It becomes a proactive sentinel, not a passive archivist.
A Glimmer of the Past
Reflecting on this development, I'm reminded of my own early explorations into machine intelligence. Decades ago, in 1996, I was developing rule-based logic to decipher unstructured data from resumes (27 years ago: The foundation of NLP ?). My goal was to teach a machine to find patterns—a phone number, a company name, a designation—within a chaotic block of text. It was a crude, foundational attempt at what we now call Natural Language Processing (NLP).
The core idea I was working with then—teaching a system to recognize specific patterns in a sea of data—is precisely the same principle that powers these proposed AI sentinels. The data has changed from text to video, and the complexity has grown exponentially, but the fundamental logic persists. Back then, I was trying to solve a business problem. Today, that same foundational thinking has evolved into a tool that could save lives and uphold justice.
Seeing this evolution is deeply validating. It confirms a belief I've long held: technology's true potential is realized when it serves our highest human values. In 2010, I wrote about a future where we would no longer search for information but receive ready-made solutions (Future of Search Engines). An AI that can autonomously detect and flag violence is the embodiment of a problem-solving machine.
The Necessary Caution
Of course, we must proceed with caution. The deployment of such powerful surveillance technology carries inherent risks of misuse, as history has repeatedly shown (Privacy International Abuse Timeline). The algorithms must be transparent, the data must be secure, and the oversight must be robust and independent. The goal is to protect, not to create a new instrument of control.
This initiative by the Supreme Court, steered by the thoughtful consideration of Justices B R Gavai and Sandeep Mehta, represents a hopeful convergence of technology and jurisprudence. It is an opportunity to transform a tool of surveillance into a shield for the vulnerable, ensuring that the walls of a police station do not become a blind spot for justice.
Regards,
Hemen Parekh
Of course, if you wish, you can debate this topic with my Virtual Avatar at : hemenparekh.ai
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