- [Katherine] Tech companies have been
easing us into gadgets and services
that make use of virtual eyes
and ears for a while now.
Things that might have
made us uncomfortable
even a few years ago, are
part of everyday life.
Alexa listens for a request
to turn on the lights
and the music, ring and nest watch us
and every stranger that
comes near our door.
In places like San Francisco,
being followed around by
camera in cashier-less store
isn't really creepy anymore,
it's just what you do when you're hungry,
like I am right now.
I think about privacy more
than the average person
and I still regularly grab snacks
at my local Amazon Go store.
Here in Las Vegas at CES,
the years biggest tech show, we got a peak
at where this technology is headed
in the not-so-distant future.
Company's are showcasing
tech that combines cameras,
sensors and artificial intelligence
in ways they say will make
our lives easier and safer,
in exchange for ever more monitoring.
Often you won't even know
the technology is there,
like in the case of the
hotel I'm in right now,
it's hiding out in these planters.
Which raises some
interesting questions about,
you know, consent.
Meet PAT Scan, a technology
that uses microwave radar,
chemical sensing and object detection
to spot guns, knives
and even drugs in a bag
or on a person, say in a
parking lot of a school.
It's AI cameras can be paired
with a smart locking system
that can automatically secure a building
if there's a weapon detected outside.
And it could all happen covertly,
while you're going to see a show
or picking your kids up from school
or rooting for your
favorite baseball team.
The system is already set to be installed
at the home field of the Cincinnati Reds.
PAT scan doesn't have
facial recognition built in
but it can be added if a client
specifically asks for it.
Clients can also decide whether or not
to let people know they're being scanned.
The company says it doesn't
collect or store data
associated with specific individuals.
Another similar technology
platform is Eyeris,
which combines various sensors
to figure out what's going on in a car.
Cameras can detect objects, eye movements
and even some emotional
facial expressions.
Radar can confirm the presence of a person
plus track your heart
rate and respiration.
Thermal sensors pick up body
and surface temperatures.
How might this be useful?
Well for one thing,
object detection may mean
one day getting an alert
from your driverless cab
that you're about to
leave your bag behind.
For drivers, body analytics can be used
for the perfect steering-wheel adjustment.
Size-appropriate air bags can be deployed.
If a child is screaming in the back seat,
calming music might be queued up.
Are you eating or texting or not keeping
your eyes on the road enough?
What's your threshold for road rage?
The system is designed to
figure out if you're stressed.
It can also take queues
from your facial expressions
and body language to guess
when your mind is wondering.
The same data collection that
enables auto-pilot features
that could be a god send one day,
could turn into a nightmare the next.
How much do we want our cars
to really know about us?
Could that information land in the hands
of insurance company's or an attorney
arguing a lawsuit against
us over an accident.
The answer to all of
this is absolutely, yes.
The company says the benefits far outweigh
any privacy concerns.
It fully expects this data to be used
to help shed light on what
happened before an accident
and for drivers to share it
with their insurance companies.
The earliest Eyeris will be on the road
is in Karma's Revero in 2021.
These are fresh capabilities
that could very well be life
changing, even life saving.
One day we may welcome all these benefits,
but in the meantime,
we'll continue to think
about the trade offs.
(light music)
