Thousands of French supermarkets are deploying artificial intelligence to detect shoplifting in real-time. The AI analyzes customer movements and behavior, flagging suspicious actions like concealing items or repeatedly handling merchandise without scanning.
This technology has reportedly significantly reduced losses for many retailers. Nelson Lopes, a manager at a Montreuil supermarket, noted a substantial decrease in theft since implementing AI. Similarly, pharmacist Latifa Gharbi in Paris is saving an estimated €4,000 annually, avoiding the cost of a security guard.
However, the widespread use of AI surveillance operates in a legal grey area. France lacks specific legislation authorizing behavioral AI analysis in commercial settings, and stores are not mandated to inform customers about its deployment.
France's data protection authority, the CNIL, warns that these systems process personal data extensively and their commercial application is prohibited without explicit legal grounds. Despite these warnings, the French startup Veesion reports equipping 2,000 to 3,000 stores, asserting compliance with GDPR and denying biometric analysis.
Retailers argue the AI serves as a crucial tool to protect their businesses amidst escalating theft and the cost-of-living crisis. Customers like Loan, 65, view it as a reasonable security measure when use is limited and data is not shared.
As lawmakers consider new regulations for AI surveillance, the debate over the balance between security and privacy is expected to intensify.