Dutch motorist Tim Hansenn was fined 380 euros for using his phone while driving. But there was one problem: He wasn’t using his phone at all.
In an interview with Belgian news outlet HLN last week, as well as in a blog post on his company’s website, Hansenn explained how he was the inadvertent victim of faulty artificial intelligence-powered smart cameras that work to spot drivers using their phones.
Hansenn, who works with AI as part of his job with the firm Nippur, found the photo taken by the smart cameras. In it, he was clearly scratching his head with his free hand. Writing in a blog post in Nippur, Hansenn took the time to explain what he thinks went wrong with the Dutch police AI and the smart camera they used, the Monocam, and how it could be improved.
In one experiment he discussed with HLN, Hansenn said the AI confused a pen with a toothbrush – identifying it as a pen when it was just held in his hand and as a toothbrush when it was close to a mouth.
As such, Hansenn told HLN that it seems the AI may just automatically conclude that if someone holds a hand near their head, it means they’re using a phone.
Artificial Intelligence illustrative. (credit: Wikimedia Commons)
Since a human police officer would have had to approve this fine by looking at the picture, that means human error was at fault, too.
As for his fine, he explained in his post that he filed an appeal, but it can take up to 26 weeks for that to go through.
More AI-powered smart cameras to hit Dutch roads
Though Hansenn has stated he wants to help the police improve their AI, the Netherlands has been using this sort of technology for several years already.
According to a report in the Dutch news outlet NRC, Dutch police have been using Monocam since 2021 to great effect, catching 116,000 drivers texting in 2022 alone, and are believed to be even higher in 2023.
In addition, more automated traffic enforcement in the Netherlands is coming. Focus lash cameras, for instance, will soon be rolled out at the end of 2024, which will be able to tell where a driver is looking, if they are running through a red light, and even if their seat belt is buckled, NRC reported.
