Berlin’s public transport operator (BVG) is planning to expand its video surveillance systems using AI-aided camera systems. The BVG told the German Press Agency that these systems are expected to be in operation at 23 U-Bahn stations by the end of the year.
Currently, these detection cameras are used in non-public areas, such as tunnels and railway tracks, to better protect them from vandalism. The system is currently in use in 16 stations, including Zoologischer Garten, Kottbusser Tor and Schloßstraße, however, the BVG have not provided a complete list. A total of 80 cameras are installed, 24 of them at Schloßstraße alone. According to BVG, in just over two months, the cameras have already sent 44 alarms about people in the track area and six about unauthorised access to operating facilities.
In April, the BVG were in talks with the Berlin state data protection commissioner regarding the expansion of AI-aided camera systems to public spaces. AI systems are intended to be able to identify potential dangers based on movement patterns. The exact start date of the project is not yet known, but it is expected to begin this year at Kottbusser Tor and Warschauer Brücke.
Netzpolitik, a German news portal, reported that a private German tech firm, Adesso, has been awarded the contract for AI-based surveillance. In their research, Netzpolitik found that Adesso had fallen victim to a major cyber attack between 2022 and 2023. The attackers gained access to the company’s IT system and had substantial access to Adesso’s data.
