The next big thing is big data

Big data is much more than just a large amount of facts and figures. The definition of big data has adapted over time, but can be currently defined as collection of a large amount of data and the ability to use it to one’s advantage. In fact, big data hit the headlines last month when prime minister Teresa May said it could, along with artificial intelligence (AI), be used to improve early diagnoses of a range of cancers. The government claimed that it could lead to at least 50,000 people a year being able to get early cancer diagnosis. Developments in AI and big data are opening doors in a range of sectors to improve the services we know and love. Yet, most companies still don’t understand them or their potential.  

The partnership

  AI and big data go hand-in-hand – they’re the IT equivalent of Roger and Jessica Rabbit; they work better together. When a dataset reaches into billions of points of information, it becomes impossible for analysts to deal with. However, with the processing power of AI, it’s a doddle. Although AI technologies have been in existence for several decades, it is only now that they are able to take advantage of huge datasets that previously weren’t available.

“SeeQuestor is designed to dramatically increase the speed at which police and security teams analyse video”

Driving innovation in policing

Video analytics

Time for the police is sparse yet precious, and anything that can be done that would even save just a few minutes of extra time is beneficial. This is where AI and big data comes in. Hours upon hours are spent going through video surveillance, which can provide vital evidence, making the different between a conviction being made or not. Now, integrated software and hardware toolset SeeQuestor is making this process significantly easier. SeeQuestor is designed to dramatically increase the speed at which police and security teams analyse video. It uses deep learning and affordable supercomputers to find the people you are looking for in a fraction of the time it would take an investigator. People of interest can be found by searching for attributes on SeeQuestor such as ‘hat’, ‘red jacket’, ‘female’, ‘black hair’, and more.   The potential to save security organisations a huge amount of time and resources cannot be ignored. The service is already having a significant impact on the police force, and other public sector and commercial security teams – SCC has been working closely with the police to implement this new technology. With 64% of criminal cases involving CCTV footage and 95% of police believing that video footage is important in convictions, there is a real demand for this type of service.

The amount of data available to us is going to continue to increase and become more advanced – leverage this opportunity now

Predictive crime mapping

A bit like Hollywood blockbuster Minority Report, police are now using technology that allows them to predict where and when crime will happen. ‘Predictive crime mapping’ is used widely across the US, and Kent Police are said to be leading the way in the UK. The artificial intelligence-based software is said to deploy an algorithm originally used to predict earthquakes to estimate the likelihood of crime occurring in a particular location during a certain time period. Similarly, the Durham Constabulary has been developing an algorithm through the use of big data to better predict the risk posed by offenders. They are using this to make sure only the most suitable are granted police bail. The software, Harm Assessment Risk Tool (HART), uses data from 34 different categories – ranging from a person’s age, gender and offending history, to rate people as a low, moderate or high risk. The tool has shown success according to research published by Durham Constabulary’s head of criminal justice Sheena Urwin. It showed that the earliest version of the algorithmic model predicted a 24-year-old man who had a criminal history of violence (police had 22 previous intelligence reports on him) would be a high-risk of offending again (the model gave him 414 high votes, 87 moderate and 8 low). Later he was arrested and convicted for murder.  

Big data = big opportunities

  Time could soon be back on your side thanks to the deployment of AI and big data. The amount of data available to us is going to continue to increase and become more advanced – leverage this opportunity now and see how you could benefit. At SCC, we provide a range of technical services and AI video surveillance to help boost your business and propel it in front of the competition. Discover more about SCC’s Video Analytics services here