There is a lot of buzz nowadays around artificial intelligence, like what exactly it is, whether or not the advances with AI will lead to a fully conscious being, or if it is truly dangerous or not. When we discuss artificial intelligence today, we’re usually referring to one specific type of AI that has been implemented easily into all kinds of systems, which is machine learning. Machine learning plays a huge role in transportation security, and that is what Gatekeeper Security does best, so it is crucial that we take a bit of time to break down machine learning and how it affects transportation security technology.
What Exactly is Machine Learning
Machine learning is a type of computer science in which we give computers the necessary tools to “learn” without being directly programmed. We are essentially able to feed these programs new data and observations from real-world scenarios, which the program is then able to translate all information into improved behaviors. What this means is that machine learning technology can make a computer learn how to do one job very well. For example, in the world of modern technology and transportation security, that might mean being able to recognize what a driver’s (precisely a person of interest) face looks like – and continually getting much better and better at being able to do this accurately.
What Makes Machine Learning So Important?
Some people think the main reason we care about machine learning, and through extension, artificial intelligence is because it allows autonomous processes to happen. This is partly true, but it is also a matter of efficiency. When a computer learns how to read lips, for example, it can pour through large amounts of video footage and assign accurate subtitles based all on its experiences. All thanks to the large amounts of processing power a lot of these systems have, they are capable of looking at large groupings of data to find patterns that would either be missed by humans during inspections or would take an unreasonable amount of time for them to obtain. Machine learning and artificial intelligence applications are endless, but today we are interested in learning what they can do for the transportation security industry.
Cameras Capable of Learning
We are already using machine learning in modern transportation security technology. There have been large amounts of development in terms of threat recognition, like being able to tell whether or not a train, cargo ship, or vehicle carries the possibility of risk and then alerting the on-site security personnel to such threats. As we get better at programming with modern machine learning in mind, we are going to see many more systems capable of improving, learning themselves, and better able to help us keep parking lots, roads, cargo ports, government buildings, and border crossings safe.