AI cameras in Kerala have been in the news ever since their implementation in the state. Now, a incident has been reported from Kannur, where the owner of a Toyota Glanza received a challan for not wearing a seat belt. After receiving the invoice, the owner was shocked to see a picture of a woman sitting next to him in the passenger seat.
Even before this, another mysterious incident has recently come up in the AI camera where an image of a woman in the back seat of a Maruti 800, even though there was no woman present. Horror or technical error? Is the AI camera capable of capturing images of ghosts?
Sometimes things happen around us for which no explanation can be found. Such a shocking incident has come to notice in Kerala.
The Kerala Motor Vehicle Department recently installed 726 AI cameras across the state to catch traffic violators. Artificial Intelligence (AI) cameras have been deployed on Kerala roads, witnessing increasing road accidents and violations of traffic rules. As per data, the installation of AI-enabled cameras on the state’s roads in June reduced the number of traffic-rule violations in the state from 4.50 lakh to 2.50 lakh a month.
AI cameras were installed to monitor traffic violations on Kerala roads under the Safe Kerala project. According to official data, the number of road accidents in July 2023 was 67 compared to 313 recorded in July last year.
A series of reports have surfaced where people deliberately position themselves in front of these AI cameras to capture candid photos, which they then upload online with trending music.
Penalties and fines have been prescribed for not wearing helmet, not wearing seat belt, not using mobile phone, crossing red signal, traveling with more than two people in two-wheeler, driving at abnormally high speed and dangerous parking.
These restrictions have helped reduce the number of accidents .
Mysterious face of Maruti 800
Kerala implemented AI camera to catch traffic offenses about six months ago. Now is it catching ghosts too? A strange incident went viral in the first week of November. A picture was clicked at Melappalam by AI camera near Payannur town in Kerala. The owner of a Maruti 800 was confused when he received a challan notice from the Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) for violating traffic rule. AI camera recognised that both the driver and the passenger were not wearing seat belts in the moving car.
there were two kids in the the car at the time when the AI camera clicked the photo.
After collecting the challan from there, the driver came to the car and noticed on the challan where it was clearly seen that someone in the back seat of the hatchback. Interestingly, there were two kids in the back seat of the car when the AI camera clicked the picture, and they were not visible in the picture. The driver of the car, Adityan, was confused and contacted the MVD – which had no response and was trying to figure out what exactly happened here. Why can’t the children in the back seat be seen in the photo? Not only that, an elderly woman was also spotted inside the car.
MVD has yet to provide an answer to the fact that the third face in the photo appears to be a woman!
Just as the impact of this incident was not fading away, another ghostly incident came into view.
Another shocking picture
Meethale Kunnath Ali runs a mineral water distribution business and often travels in and out of the district for work. He received an unexpected challan (fine) from the Department of Motor Vehicles for not wearing a seatbelt while driving his car, a Toyota Glanza. The shock came when he saw the strange image. It shows a woman sitting next to him. He was actually traveling alone in the car, and did not know who the woman in the co-passenger seat was. He told that he was sure that he had not traveled on the specified route on the date of issue of the challan. He claimed that he was not driving on the specified route on the date the camera captured the shipment.
As per report of New Indian Express, While willing to pay the fine, Ali requested the officials to explain the woman’s presence in the car. Ali told authorities he was willing to pay the citation for not wearing a seat belt.
A mixed feeling of curiosity and concern has been created in people’s minds regarding two consecutive incidents.
Concerns and thaughts
Kerala MVD has sent the captured images to the makers of the AI cameras for further analysis. The department later attributed the discrepancy to a technical glitch that caused one image to overlap with another. Kannur RTO (Enforcement) MC Shiva said, “We are not in a position to explain as there are technical issues.”
Even if the photos overlap, it is highly implausible that the so-called images of the apparitions so impeccably placed in the car seat do not appear to be a technical glitch.
AI is not biased against any particular gender. Also why only images of women? Why isn’t AI camera taking pictures of ghostly male co-passengers?
It is even more surprising that these images seem to appear only in a certain area. If this was an AI/technological issue, similar reports would have been generated in other regions of the world.
These issues are generating more interest.
Only official response can address these concerns.
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