Bengaluru's potholes here to stay as officials block AI camera installations over privacy concerns: Report

Bengaluru's AI street-scouting project has been stalled over privacy concerns from Greater Bengaluru Authority officials amid rising civic woes.

A technology experiment meant to give Bengaluru’s civic machinery a pair of AI-powered “street-scouting eyes” has stumbled before it even got off the ground. The proposal, which aimed to equip corporation vehicles with smart cameras that could automatically flag potholes, overflowing trash, illegal hoardings, and other urban troubles, is now caught in a pushback from top brass of the newly formed Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA).

A technology initiative in Bengaluru to equip civic vehicles with AI cameras for urban issue detection has faced resistance from officials in the Greater Bengaluru Authority. (AI Generated Image)

Approved earlier this year by the chief secretary, the plan envisioned cameras mounted on every civic vehicle, constantly gathering visuals of the city’s roads and public spaces, said a report by The Times of India. An AI engine would then sift through the footage, identify civic problems, and instantly raise a digital complaint with the responsible department, cutting out human delays and ushering in real-time oversight.

The project, valued at ₹3 crore, was to begin with 250 cameras installed in vehicles assigned to senior officers. After that, junior officials’ cars and the broader service fleet would follow. Before the BBMP was dissolved, it had already issued work orders in August, and the contracted firm has delivered the first batch of 30 units, the report said.

But the administrative reshuffle, from BBMP to GBA and five new city corporations, has frozen the rollout. Senior officials have vehemently resisted the idea of camera-fitted vehicles, arguing that such devices would make every kilometre they travel traceable, said the report.

The system doesn’t just spot potholes, it logs every route officials take. Service improvements are important, but privacy cannot be brushed aside, a senior GBA official told the publication. Officers noted that, currently, only their drivers know their travel patterns, however, with AI-enabled cameras, a complete digital record of their movements would exist.

As debates over surveillance and personal privacy escalated in the city amidst rising civic woes, specifically the infamous potholes, the initiative has, for now, been quietly shelved. Another senior official echoed the sentiments, questioning why they should be tracked wherever they go. He added that this undermines their sense of autonomy as government officers.

HT.com has not independently verified the authenticity of this information.