A new form of security camera software that uses artificial intelligence to predict if someone may be about to shoplift is being used in certain stores in the U.S.
The camera software, produced by AI surveillance company Veesion, reads body language and hand movement to detect suspicious behavior, allowing shops to prevent robberies before they happen, per the company.
Newsweek contacted Veesion for more information on the technology via email.
Why It Matters
In 2024, there was a rise in shoplifting reports, with the Council on Criminal Justice reporting that the crime increased by 24 percent in the first half of the year compared to the same time period the previous year. Retailers have sought to prevent theft without compromising the customer experience as traditional approaches such as locking up products can frustrate shoppers and have been found to lower sales.
What To Know
Veesion’s system plugs into a store’s existing camera network. The software analyzes video feeds and flags sequences it considers suspicious. These alerts appear on staff tablets, phones or even checkout terminals.
The technology is currently on trial at around 5,000 stores in the U.S, Canada and Europe.
Veesion, which was founded in France in 2018, says its software avoids identifying individuals or collecting biometric data. “Our technology does not allow for the recognition of physical or physiological characteristics, the deduction of emotions or intentions of people,” Veesion states on its website.
Its creators also say that the technology can avoid the biases of other AI-based products, as it doesn’t read anything else about the person it is observing, just their body language.
“The algorithm doesn’t care about what people look like. It just cares about how your body parts move over time,” Veesion cofounder Benoît Koenig told Business Insider.
In stores, the software works by comparing live footage to millions of examples of shoplifting gestures that the algorithm has been trained on. Over time, the system improves via machine learning, with the stated goal of reaching 99 percent detection rates.
Koenig told Business Insider more than 85 percent of alerts have been considered relevant for store operators that use the Veesion system. He said one client in the U.S. was able to halve losses in one section of the store in the first three months of implementation.
Retailers also benefit, in theory, from a deterrence created by the strength of the technology. “They know there is an AI in the cameras, so they’re going to be careful with what they do,” said Koenig.
What People Are Saying
Veesion cofounder Benoît Koenig told Business Insider: “It’s not glamorous, but the ROI is quite direct. You’re going to arrest shoplifters, recover inventory, and save money.”
Alex Beene, a financial literacy instructor at the University of Tennessee at Martin, told Newsweek: “Shoplifting as such a widespread crime during a time of high inflation is actually quite common when you look at similar times from other countries in the past.
“The one-two punch that consumers face is not just higher prices, but also a drawback of additional financial resources they would normally qualify for because of their current employment and income outlook.”
What’s Next
Veesion, which recently raised $43 million in funding, is expanding its U.S. operations.
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