I’m not entirely sure Dartford council knows how this tech stuff works
There was a recent story in the local online news about a council using AI to stop fly-tipping.
The article talks a good game about how WasteWatch scheme reduced fly-tipping. I notice that they don’t actually say how this is done because I don’t think they know. It seems they think AI magic happened or something.
Dartford council had cameras installed at two fly-tipping spots and paid (I have no doubt) a lot to have this come with AI for some reason. Do they know they get the same deterrent effect and enforcement evidence with boring regular CCTV?
What do they think the AI does? Go over to the fly-tipper and tell them not to be so naughty, perhaps.
The fly-tipping was reduced because there were cameras there. That’s how cameras work. You put them where people break the law a lot, and then people see the cameras and make a better choice. If they don’t, the police can look at the footage and use it to track down the lawbreaker and then arrest them.
You don’t even need the cameras. Empty camera shells are effective at reducing crime to almost the same degree. And I bet they’re cheaper too.
What amazing law-enforcement breakthrough has a bit of AI added to the process, exactly? If you say facial recognition, you do know we’ve had that for so long that we have a name for that technology. Calling it AI sounds more like PR than actual useful product.
