Speedcam: App determines the speed of cars thanks to AI – anger at developers

In the UK, the team behind an AI-powered speed-control app has received so many threats that they’ve been forced to remain anonymous. The Guardian reports. The group has developed an application called “Speedcam Anywhere” which, based on a short video of a passing car, is said to be able to precisely measure its speed. Anyone who does this receives a detailed report with information on the dangers associated with speeding cars. More is not planned, an app developer hopes that the police can be made aware of places where the prescribed speed limit is exceeded particularly often.
“Modern version of East German spying”
If a passing car is filmed with it, the model and year of manufacture are determined based on the license plate number, it is said in the explanation of the app. The video is then uploaded to the development team’s servers, where proprietary AI software determines the speed. According to the Guardian, the team can prove that this works reliably – for example, Google was convinced to lift an initial block. According to the associated website, “Speedcam Anywhere” can currently only be downloaded in Great Britain – where the procedure is legal – and approval in the USA is currently being examined. There are versions for Android and iOS, but the application is only available in the Google Play Store so far.
According to the Guardian British police have been accepting traffic violation records made by citizens for years. “Speedcam Anywhere” is just a continuation of this practice, assure those responsible. Apparently they struck a chord, because although the app has only been downloaded a few thousand times, there are many threats. The team wants to keep their identities secret. According to the Guardian report, the app is compared to the ubiquitous spying in East Germany. The quoted developer acknowledges that their software is a double-edged sword: “But if you have speed limits, then obeying them is the law and that has to be enforced.”
(mho)