Chennai’s AI Urban Video Surveillance: A Critical Socio-Spatial Investigation
Artificial intelligence (AI) for urban development is growing rapidly. Many cities are expanding their CCTV networks infused with AI technologies for crime reduction and increased safety. An example of this is India’s Safe City Project (SCP). The South Indian city of Chennai, as part of SCP, is implementing an AI-augmented video surveillance network complemented with so-called panic buttons in its public buses.
A growing literature suggests that technological interventions such as these often exasperate socio-spatial issues. Another literature set examines how values and biases are built into these technological systems. With the advent of AI technologies increasingly being incorporated with CCTV surveillance systems, engaging in these critical debates and discussing such technological developments and their socio-spatial implications is becoming more important.
In this MSc. Research: students can set up their study focusing on either the post- or pre-implementation phase (or a combination of both) of Chennai’s video surveillance system with SCP. Doing so will require a theoretical understanding of the system and/or performing empirical work in Chennai. The student researcher will be encouraged and required to set up their study depending on their skills and interests. Setting up the study will include, but is not limited to, formulating relevant research question(s) and devising a theoretically sound methodology.
Goals of this study:
- Develop a critical understanding of Chennai SCP’s CCTV surveillance system
- Critically engage with and contribute to relevant literature
Student profile:
- Interest in and affinity to social science research
- Interest in applying GIS skills to social science research
- Interest in the research domains of Critical Data Studies, Science and Technology Studies and Surveillance Studies