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New York City is utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) to combat fare evasion in its subway system, according to NBC News. The AI system, developed by Spanish software company AWAAIT, is currently being deployed in several subway stations, with plans to expand to more stations by the end of the year.

The primary purpose of the AI system is to track the amount of potential revenue lost due to fare evasion rather than catch fare evaders in the act. It records instances of fare skipping and analyzes data on how individuals avoid paying the fare. The recordings are stored on the Metropolitan Transit Authoritys servers for a limited time, but they are not shared with law enforcement.

The implementation of this AI technology is similar to what has been done in Barcelona, where the same software is used on trains to capture images of fare evaders and send them to station officers.

The Metropolitan Transit Authority has emphasized that the AI system is solely intended for tracking purposes and not for assisting law enforcement. This decision is in line with the organizations efforts to increase the presence of law enforcement in the subway system to deter larger-scale crimes.

In the fourth quarter of last year, the NYPD made 601 arrests and issued 13,157 summons for fare evasion. These numbers have increased in the first quarter of 2023, with 923 arrests and 28,057 summons issued for subway fare evasion.

While the AI system is currently focused on monitoring revenue loss, it is possible that it could be utilized in the future to directly address fare evasion. The Metropolitan Transit Authority plans to continue expanding the use of AI technology to improve the efficiency and security of the subway system.

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