AI technology to detect abuse in an orphanage

Surveillance cameras equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) technology will be used to look for any signs of abuse at one of the city’s residential care homes for children, the government said on Friday.

The AI ​​should automatically sound an alarm if it detects inappropriate behavior, such as when children are hit or shaken.

Welfare Minister Chris Sun said the money for the technology was given to the Hong Kong Society for the Protection of Children (HKSPC) after its Prince Edward orphanage was embroiled in an abuse scandal involving several staff in 2021.

“To help the Children’s Protection Society improve the quality of care for children and increase their effectiveness in monitoring childcare services, the Government has provided money from the Lottery Fund to enable the society to use artificial intelligence technology in surveillance cameras so that misconduct can be detected at an early stage.” Sun said at a seminar on child protection.

Cameras equipped with AI should be used from June next year, the minister added.

The HKSPC said it began weekly monitoring of surveillance footage two years ago.

“There are two levels of monitoring, the first is the staff of the orphanage-boarding home. They will randomly select two hours of CCTV footage to review and identify any irregularities or questionable behaviour,” said director Subrina Chow.

“This will be followed by a second review by a child protection consultant. They’ll review what the first-class personnel have already reviewed and randomly select another two hours of footage to see if there are any conditions that need attention.”