JAKARTA - Japanese train operator JR Central announced its plans to pilot the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze passenger recordings from security cameras on the Tokaido Shinkansen bullet train for two weeks in November, as part of efforts to improve services.
The operator, also known as Central Japan Railway Co., has been posting information about the plan on its website since September 30, but has not released an official press release.
This has the potential to spark debate over whether they have given adequate notification of plans to conduct such trials on public transport.
JR Central stated that this trial complied with national law and guidelines. According to the company, the recording will take place from November 1 to November 14 on all Tokaido Shinkansen routes between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka stations.
Six cameras installed in each carriage 1, 6, and 8 of the company's N700S train model will be used in this trial. Passengers who do not want to be recorded are advised to avoid these carriages.
Image analysis will be submitted to Mitsubishi Electric Corp. Using an image of the body that might cover the face, the system will extract clothes and baggage to infer attributes such as gender, age group, travel destination, and whether they are tourists who come.
JR Central said it would use this information to adjust services and operations according to passenger needs.
The company's notification posted on its official website informs passengers of the location of the camera in the affected carriages. Similar information has also been displayed on digital billboards at stations along the targeted route starting this month.
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JR Central stated that the data obtained will only be used for testing and will be deleted as soon as testing is complete.
"We will handle the footage in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Economics, Trade and Industry as well as the Ministry of Home Affairs and Communications, and have given prior notifications broadly, so there are no problems," a company official said, as reported by Kyodo News Oct. 16.
To anticipate a case where passengers who are not aware of a sitting test in the intended carriage, or cannot get a seat in another carriage, the company said it would accept requests for their recordings removed.
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