Intelligent CIO Africa Issue 32 | Page 68

t cht lk systems are able to analyse huge amounts of data, which of course is advantageous when you have to review hours of surveillance images. By ‘learning’ how the observed object moves, how tall or small it is, whether it has two arms and two legs and how fast it is going, the AI application ranks the information and decides whether it is probable that the object is human. This kind of functionality is common in the field of safety and security today. Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Deep Learning AI is the act of simulating an intellectual task. An essential component of AI is ML and sometimes the two expressions are used interchangeably. AI uses algorithms to go 68 INTELLIGENTCIO through data, learn from it, and then make predictions. However, to mimic the complex human brain, a computer needs lots of training. So-called Deep Learning (DL) is an advanced way of implementing ML, but it requires lots of data, advanced classifications and several layers of analysis to produce ‘deeper’ knowledge. A compute-intensive model, DL is today mostly run on servers with multiple GPU processors, but when edge devices increase their computing capacity, some applications will probably move there in the future. AI in surveillance – design with a purpose Understanding the primary purpose of the system and how the footage eventually might be used is essential. Image usability can only be achieved if the system has been adapted to the specific conditions of the environment and is properly maintained. To succeed the primary focus therefore can’t be on the technology, but on the solution of a particular use case. Only as part of a complete and well- designed solution, where human expertise has taken all kinds of considerations into account, can AI offer great opportunities within surveillance. AI in surveillance – advantages A surveillance solution – with or without AI – is rarely an off-the-shelf solution since every business and use case is unique. Whenever there is a need to process and analyse huge amounts of data, computers www.intelligentcio.com