Toronto, Ontario -- AI-powered cameras could put a serious dent in the collision business, a new study suggests.
Published in Management Science, the study looked at AI-enabled traffic enforcement in Chinese cities. It found a meaningful drop in vehicle collisions in areas overseen by the cold, remorseless gaze of AI cameras.
Researchers found that the rollout of AI cameras in Chinese cities led to a 21 percent reduction in traffic violations, a 14 percent reduction in accidents and an 11 percent decrease in injuries. The study spanned more than 370 cities and cross-referenced data from traffic police, accident reports and local AI adoption records.
The cameras didn’t just catch drivers running reds. They used AI to track patterns over time, helping local authorities identify dangerous intersections, deploy resources more efficiently and deter repeat offenders.
While Canada's government hasn't yet adopted AI-powered CCTV cameras, the technology is becoming increasingly popular with consumers. According to a study from Next MSC, the nation's AI camera market is expected to grow by about 25.46 percent each year until 2030, which would see it balloon from about US$508 million in 2023 to US$2.78 billion in 2030.
