Shoplifting continues to be a huge problem around the world, costing retailers billions of dollars a year in the United States alone. But a Japanese startup has developed artificial intelligence software that it says can catch shoplifters in the act — and alert staff members so they can swoop in to prevent pilferage.
The system isn’t yet available in the U.S., but the Tokyo-based company behind it, Vaak, says tests in local convenience stores showed the system decreased shoplifting losses by 77 percent. Dubbed Vaakeye, the system works with a store’s surveillance cameras to catch thievery that busy staffers might miss. Its developers trained the system by showing it more than 100 hours of closed-circuit television footage that depicted honest shoppers as well as shoplifters.
Vaak CEO Ryo Tanaka said the system identifies suspicious activity based on more than 100 aspects of shoppers’ behavior, including gait, hand movements, facial expressions and even clothing choices. Promotional videos show Vaakeye spotting a range of suspicious activities, from “restless” behavior and “sneaking” to putting items into bags or pockets.
If the system spots behavior it deems suspicious, it alerts store personnel via an app. Then it’s up to staffers to act — typically by approaching the potential shoplifters and asking if they need help. The system doesn’t label people as shoplifters; rather, Tanaka said, it tells staffers to “please check these people — they might steal things.”
Chelsea Binns, an assistant professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City, said the Vaakeye system “appears to show great promise for loss prevention.” But, she added, retailers must weigh the costs and benefits of surveillance. “If regular customers are afraid to enter stores because they don’t like the idea of being tracked, this could potentially hurt retail sales,” she said.
Source: NBC News