from the I-for-one-welcome-our-robotic-overlords dept.
France is using AI to check whether people are wearing masks on public transport:
France is integrating new AI tools into security cameras in the Paris metro system to check whether passengers are wearing face masks.
The software, which has already been deployed elsewhere in the country, began a three-month trial in the central Chatelet-Les Halles station of Paris this week, reports Bloomberg. French startup DatakaLab, which created the program, says the goal is not to identify or punish individuals who don’t wear masks, but to generate anonymous statistical data that will help authorities anticipate future outbreaks of COVID-19.
“We are just measuring this one objective,” DatakaLab CEO Xavier Fischer told The Verge. “The goal is just to publish statistics of how many people are wearing masks every day.”
The pilot is one of a number of measures cities around the world are introducing as they begin to ease lockdown measures and allow people to return to work. Although France, like the US, initially discouraged citizens from wearing masks, the country has now made them mandatory on public transport. It’s even considering introducing fines of €135 ($145) for anyone found not wearing a mask on the subway, trains, buses, or taxis.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 11 2020, @11:00AM (1 child)
Anything to stop the spread, but allow people to actually move around to maximum extend. The alternative is what? Stay home or hope you are not one of the 5% that needs hospitalization? Maybe hope and prayers are OK for America, but in Europe, we don't want to start digging mass graves because "the economy".
Here in Germany, masks are not mandatory. It's an experiment to try to open parts of the economy again. But restrictions will come back at some point again and again until we finally have vaccine. Most people in Germany know this and most importantly, the leadership of the countries and states know this and we accept this as reality. And fines are required too because there are always stupid people that don't listen and are a danger to the rest of us.
But one thing that is changing in Germany -- most stores now have notices that they would like customers to pay not with cash for duration of COVID. That is big for Germany, where cash is king.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 11 2020, @08:00PM
The not wearing masks is an experiment in opening parts of the country?? What does wearing masks have to do with opening up? Making people wear masks sounds like a very reasonable compromise for letting stores open. Why would you let them open and not require a face covering?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 11 2020, @11:56AM
OMG Mooooooooooslems! Masks are illegal!
OMG Ebolaids! Masks are required!
(Score: 2) by takyon on Monday May 11 2020, @12:03PM
Couldn't they hire recently unemployed people to act as plainclothes "mask marshals" on the trains?
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by Reziac on Tuesday May 12 2020, @03:54AM
...how's that workin' out for ya??
And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.