Big Brother

Citizens of Middlesbrough, England, have a new Big Brother to welcome into their lives.

Reportedly, police have begun installing loudspeakers on their existing public security cameras, and alerting wrong-doers when they are being watched. So far, the police have broken up fights at bars, stopped illegal bicyclists, and embarrassed litterers, all without stepping on the scene. They have yet to recieve a request to take the loudspeakers down.

On the one hand, I suppose this is eerily like George Orwell's nightmare, laid out in 1984. While the police are so far only watching public places, and the news article doesn't mention any arrests, this could easily degenerate. Right now, the police are watching the cameras manually. But what happens when AI starts to pick up steam, and computers can watch all of the cameras for suspicious activity? And what happens when police no longer limit themselves to breaking up fights and catching obvious criminals, but begin to track political behavior, or log locations of specific individuals?

On the other hand, if the system is restricted to exactly where it is today, this could be a wonderful development. Police presence everywhere crime occurs! Problems in a certain neighborhood, but not enough manpower to constantly police it? Put up a camera and loudspeaker. Boom - crime evaporates.

Or does it? When will the public learn which infractions the police will enforce, and which they won't? Or what the identification limits of the cameras are? Or to only commit crime where cameras aren't around? I will tell you the answer in 10 years.