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Uganda: Experts Call for Use of Artificial Intelligence in Security Management

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Amidst several emerging challenges including crime and terror threats, experts have called for the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in managing security of the country.

Speaking during a stakeholders’ meeting in Kampala, the experts argued that with the ever-changing face of crime, it is high time Uganda turned to use of new technology.

“For example, Artificial Intelligence can be used in cyber security to quickly analyze millions of events and identify many different types of threats. AI helps to develop a holistic and robust model, efficient at detecting and preventing cyber-attacks in real-time, resisting novel cybercrime and increasing the competence of cyber security teams,” said Demus Nahurira, a solution engineer at Dahua Technology, a company that deals in video surveillance equipment and advanced security technology.

The UK government recently issued an alert in which they said terrorists are planning to attack Uganda, a move that has thrown Ugandans in panic.

However, according to experts, in such moments, use of AI comes in handy.

“The concept of smart buildings and smart homes comes in here. You can have face recognition equipment at the entrance of buildings that they identify all people accessing the building that in case of any incident, the image is put in the system to analyse it. You can as well blacklist individuals and vehicles from accessing certain facilities,” Nahurira says.

“The use of alarms can be of great use to security management which can be synchronized in the system that you can track the building or home from wherever you may be. The traditional systems use infra-red that if it is raining or windy, you get a false alarm and any movement causes an alarm. Here, Dahua comes in an provides AI which filters and focuses on vehicles and people. In case any of these come near the system, the alarm goes off.”

According to Isaac Rukanda,the director at Detail Protection Services, AI can also come in handy to manage large crowds that would ordinarily require security personnel to deployed in large numbers.

“You can deploy surveillance equipment for all people attending the public events to detect any unwanted items. We have long range thermal imaging and AI cameras that can detect people with ulterior motives. For example, these AI cameras can detect IEDs or their components and early detection helps avert threats. This requires security agencies like police working with private security companies in providing these services. We can work hand in hand with each other,” Rukanda says.