Safety in the Techno-Mediated City: Insights from Bengaluru's AI-Powered CCTV Network
Published 30 Jan 2026 · Added to radar 5 Nov 2026
Source abstract
Despite ample criticisms, cities are increasingly using closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, citing urban safety. How safety is evoked within such technology-laden projects is little studied. We empirically investigate the Bengaluru Safe City Project, an AI-powered surveillance system, to address this gap. We qualitatively analyze the project's key documents describing the intended purposes and technological capabilities of the surveillance system, which resulted in three themes: gendered safety, the cameras' gaze, and the needed human intervention with the system. We show how socio-politically informed priorities influence the safety notions within the surveillance system.
Abstract metadata supplied by the research index; wording belongs to the original source.Structured record
- Source-reported findings
- We show how socio-politically informed priorities influence the safety notions within the surveillance system.