PEACHTREE CORNERS, Ga. — Peachtree Corners says it will be deploying artificial intelligence camera technology to monitor for COVID-19 guideline compliance at its city hall.
The Gwinnett County city said in a release that it was using technology from the security firm Cawamo, which specializes in artificial intelligence applications, to upgrade their existing cameras at the facility.
According to the release, the cameras will be able to "monitor gatherings and alert city personnel" if guidelines are not being followed.
A photo provided by the city shows how the program might detect a group standing too close to one another.
"Cameras within Peachtree Corners’ City Hall automatically detect COVID-19 protocol compliance among visitors, while prioritizing privacy," the release said.
Alerts would then be sent to security workers through a web-based dashboard.
"The international firm’s proprietary technology enables existing cameras to determine if someone is not wearing a mask or a group of people are not observing social distancing guidelines, immediately alerting city personnel," the release said.
The city's chief technology officer and assistant city manager, Brandon Branham, called the system "will help us maintain important public safety protocols as we work to slow the spread of the virus."
According to the city, the system will provide "accurate alerts with virtually zero false alerts."
Cawamo was founded in Israel, but maintains a U.S. headquarters in Atlanta. According to the company, Peachtree Corners is the first city to utilize the their system.
The city said it purchased "onsite equipment" at an undisclosed cost, but that monitoring would be provided free by Cawamo. It also said the system could be deployed "without facial recognition" and "no personal identifiable information used."
Cawamo's CEO, David Yakov, said they were "thrilled to be helping the City of Peachtree Corners keep its citizens safe using the already-installed security cameras around the city."
Cawamo describes itself as a "private company backed by a few investors."