In the heart of Sao Paulo, a "prisonometer" keeps a live tally of people jailed due to Latin America's largest AI facial-recognition system, but its successes have been marred by mistaken arrests.
The digital counter stands outside the Smart Sampa monitoring center, where dozens of police officers watch images streaming in from 40,000 cameras in the Brazilian megalopolis.
kAm{2E:? p>6C:42VD =2C86DE 4:EJ 92D =@?8 32EE=65 9:89 C2E6D @7 4C:>6[ 2?5 E96 px E649?@=@8J H2D :?EC@5F465 :? a_ac E@ D42? E96 DEC66ED 2?5 4@>A2C6 :>286D E@ E9@D6 :? ;F5:4:2= 52E232D6D]k^Am
kAm$>2CE $2>A2VD 5C28?6E 92D DH6AE FA b[___ 7F8:E:G6D[ H9:=6 ?62C=J c[___ A6@A=6 92G6 366? 42F89E :? E96 24E @7 4@>>:EE:?8 2 4C:>6]k^Am
kAmQ(:E9 E96 7F8:E:G6D E96 DJDE6> 42AEFC65[ H6 4@F=5 7:== D6G6? AC:D@?D] %@52J x 42? ?@ =@?86C :>28:?6 $2@ !2F=@ H:E9@FE $>2CE $2>A2[Q >F?:4:A2= D64FC:EJ D64C6E2CJ ~C=2?5@ |@C2?5@ E@=5 pu! 23@FE E96 AC@8C2>[ H9:49 4@DED 23@FE EH@ >:==:@? 5@==2CD A6C >@?E9 E@ CF?]k^Am
kAm%@ D9@H 9@H :E H@C<D[ 96 FA=@25D 2 A9@E@ @7 9:>D6=7 E@ E96 DJDE6>] (:E9:? D64@?5D[ :>286D @7 9:> :? G2C:@FD =@42E:@?D 2C@F?5 E96 4:EJ @7 `a >:==:@? A6@A=6 A@A FA @? E96 D4C66?]k^Am
kAmQxE C6>:?5D >6 @7 E96 3@@< `hgc W3J v6@C86 ~CH6==X[ H:E9 2== E92E 4@?EC@= @7 A6@A=6i x =@G6 :E[ x 2AAC@G6 `__ A6C46?E[Q D2:5 $@?:2 u6CC6:C2 $:=G2[ 2 eg\J62C\@=5 C6E:C66[ DE2?5:?8 ?6IE E@ 2 $>2CE $2>A2 ECF4< D6CG:?8 2D 2 >@3:=6 DFCG6:==2?46 A@DE @? E96 :4@?:4 pG6?:52 !2F=:DE2]k^Am
k9am\ |:DE2<6? 2CC6DED \k^9am
kAmqFE E96 DJDE6> :D 72C 7C@> 7@@=AC@@7]k^Am
kAm~77:4:2= EC2?DA2C6?4J C6A@CED 2?2=JK65 3J pu! D9@H E92E >@C6 E92? g A6C46?E @7 A6@A=6 :56?E:7:65 2D 7F8:E:G6D 2?5 2CC6DE65 :? $>2CE $2>A2VD 7:CDE J62C 925 E@ 36 C6=62D65 5F6 E@ 6CC@CD]k^Am
kAmpE =62DE dh 56E2:?66D H6C6 7C665 3642FD6 E96 DJDE6> >:DE@@< E96> 7@C @E96C A6@A=6]k^Am
kAmx? s646>36C[ 2? g_\J62C\@=5 C6E:C66 DA6?E 9@FCD F?56C 2CC6DE 3642FD6 $>2CE $2>A2 4@?7FD65 9:> H:E9 2 C2A:DE]k^Am
kAmp?5 2 >@?E9 62C=:6C[ 2 8C@FA @7 ADJ49:2EC:4 A2E:6?ED H6C6 2EE6?5:?8 E96C2AJ 2E 2 >6?E2= 962=E9 46?E6C H96? 2C>65 A@=:46 3FCDE :? 2?5 92?54F7765 @?6 @7 E96>]k^Am
kAmp7E6C 9@FCD 2E E96 A@=:46 DE2E:@?[ E96 56E2:?66 H2D C6=62D65[ 2?5 2FE9@C:E:6D D2:5 9:D 2CC6DE H2CC2?E H2D ?@ =@?86C G2=:5]k^Am
kAm%96 DJDE6> C6=:6D ?@E @?=J @? DEC66E 42>6C2D 3FE 2=D@ @? 42>6C2D :? AF3=:4 3F:=5:?8D \\ :?4=F5:?8 962=E9 46?E6CD \\ 2?5 AC:G2E6 3F:=5:?8D E92E 28C66 E@ A2CE:4:A2E6]k^Am
kAmpE =62DE `c` A6@A=6 H6C6 2CC6DE65 5F6 E@ @FE52E65 H2CC2?ED[ 3FE E96 $2@ !2F=@ 8@G6C?>6?E 2C8F6D E92E E9@D6 >:DE2<6D 2C6 E96 ;F5:4:2CJVD C6DA@?D:3:=:EJ[ ?@E E96:CD]k^Am
kAmQ}@ @?6 C6>2:?65 :>AC:D@?65 3J >:DE2<6i E96 A6@A=6 H6C6 C6=62D65[Q D2:5 |@C2?5@]k^Am
k9am\ Vr:G:= 4@?EC@=V \k^9am
kAmp>@?8 E96 7F8:E:G6D 42AEFC65 3J $>2CE $2>A2[ 2=>@DE 92=7 925 E96:C 4C:>6D 4=2DD:7:65 2D Q@E96C]Qk^Am
kAm}62C=J 2== @7 E96> 2C6 A6@A=6 H9@ @H6 49:=5 DFAA@CE[ 2 4:G:= @776?D6 QE92E 92D =:EE=6 E@ 5@ H:E9 AF3=:4 D64FC:EJ[Q 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 C6A@CE Q$>2CE $2>A2i %C2?DA2C6?4J 7@C H9@>n %C2?DA2C6?4J @7 H92EnQk^Am
kAmQ$>2CE $2>A2 :D AC6D6?E65 2D 2 D@=FE:@? E@ 4C:>6 3FE :D FD65 7@C 4:G:= 4@?EC@=[Q H2C?D p>2C:=:D r@DE2[ 5:C64E@C @7 E96 =2HJ6CDV ?6EH@C< {:36C5256 2?5 2 4@\2FE9@C @7 E96 C6A@CE]k^Am
kAm%96 8@G6C?>6?E 56?@F?46D 2EE6>AED E@ Q5:D4C65:EQ $>2CE $2>A2[ 3@2DE:?8 E96 4:EJ 925 D66? 2 ?62C=J `d A6C46?E 5C@A :? C@336C:6D :? a_ad]k^Am
kAmx? a_ac[ ?62C=J @?6 :? 7:G6 46==A9@?6 C@336C:6D :? qC2K:=[ :?4=F5:?8 G:@=6?E >F88:?8D[ @44FCC65 :? $2@ !2F=@]k^Am
k9am\ V}@ AC6;F5:46V \k^9am
kAm%96 C24:2= :56?E:EJ @7 >@C6 E92? 92=7 @7 E9@D6 7@F?5 8F:=EJ 2?5 ;2:=65 27E6C 36:?8 42F89E 3J $>2CE $2>A2 :D ?@E :?4=F565 :? @77:4:2= 52E2]k^Am
kAmr@DE2 D2:5 E9:D 4C62E6D 2? :?7@C>2E:@? 82A E92E >2<6D :E :>A@DD:36 E@ <?@H H96E96C $>2CE $2>A2 DF776CD 7C@> Q2=8@C:E9>:4 C24:D>Q :? 2 4@F?ECJ H:E9 @?6 @7 E96 H@C=5VD =2C86DE 3=24< A@AF=2E:@?D]k^Am
kAm$EF5:6D :? D6G6C2= 4@F?EC:6D 92G6 DF886DE65 E92E px 724:2= C64@8?:E:@? DJDE6>D E6?5 E@ >2<6 >@C6 >:DE2<6D H:E9 3=24< A6@A=6]k^Am
kAm%96 8@G6C?>6?E 2C8F6D E92E E96 =24< @7 C24:2= 52E2 :D E96 C6DA@?D:3:=:EJ @7 E96 ;FDE:46 DJDE6>]k^Am
kAmQ$>2CE $2>A2 92D ?@ AC6;F5:46 \\ H6 5@ ?@E 2CC6DE A6@A=6 32D65 @? 4@=@C[Q D2:5 |@C2?5@[ E96 D64FC:EJ D64C6E2CJ]k^Am
kAm|@DE $>2CE $2>A2 2CC6DED 92G6 @44FCC65 :? @FE=J:?8 ?6:893@C9@@5D[ H:E9 >2?J @7 E9@D6 56E2:?65 >:8C2?ED 7C@> A@@C6C C68:@?D @7 qC2K:=VD :?E6C:@C]k^Am
kAm773^2AA^73^;84k^Am
