Two of my biggest pet peeves are people who shoplift and people who throw trash out of their car windows. My wife will readily attest to that. I’ve chased cars down to scold drivers about littering, and I’ve tackled shoplifters for stealing. I’ve been spit on for confronting litterbugs and broke a finger in the process of deterring a shoplifter. This stuff drives me crazy.
This morning, a friend of mine sent me a link to a BBC News clip that talks about new AI technology that can identify the license plate of the car, and ticket the driver.
While there will be people who say that this is too much “Big Brother” in our lives, I think that this new advancement in the war against litter is great. The AI technology is so sharp that it can even identify when someone flicks a cigarette butt out of the window… and yes, that is littering.
This innovative technology is being rolled out in Maidstone, the largest town in Kent, England, but will hopefully be coming to to cities around the globe. After all, the waste stream comes in many forms, and this is one of them.
If you ask me what I think about all of this, all I can say is, “I’m lovin’ it.” And I hope that it comes to the US next.
Lead image: Photo by Lucas van Oort
