Cape Town-based tech company Solution House Software has launched an Artificial Intelligence program which maps out potential crimes before they happen. This is done by studying where certain crimes occur, and what time of day they are most likely to happen.
The system uses aggregated data from multiple sources of information to determine the likelihood of criminal activity. Even variables like weather patterns are considered to determine future crime hotspots.
The technology is eerily similar to that featured in the Steven Speilberg blockbuster Minority Report, where all crime is predicted in advance, giving authorities the ability to apprehend criminals before they commit a crime.
However, SHS’s system doesn’t quite go that far. Though their series of algorithms can predict when and where crime is likely to happen, it can’t predict who will be the perpetrator – saving us all a moral dilemma we aren’t ready to handle.
The software (named Incident Desk) is a universal mapping tool that currently provides real-time incident alerts to property and security management. Janse Van Rensburg, director of SHS, explains why this is the perfect system to keep South Africans safe:
“Crime is notoriously difficult to predict, but given that Incident Desk can access so many different types of data – including weather patterns and forecasts and historical data – the results are based on fairly accurate and proven trending algorithms.”
“We’re planning to launch to all our current customers for free on a trial basis, after which we’ll phase in a subscription model for long-term use.”
Due to be released as a smartphone app, it will have the unique distinction of being one of the only fully mobile-enabled incident management systems available to the public.
Solution House Software have not yet commented on whether Nkandla will be exempt from the technology.
Article Source: www.thesouthafrican.com
