Amazon has begun installing cameras controlled by artificial intelligence software to monitor drivers of company-branded yet contracted delivery vehicles, all in the name of safety.
The report comes after Amazon shared an instructional video explaining the cameras to the contractors who manage the well-known blue-gray delivery vans, theinformation.com reported.
The software monitors driving habits and issues verbal warnings such as ''distracted driving,'' ''no stop detected,'' and ''please slow down.''
CNBC reported the cameras are programmed to scan for 16 different safety issues and that one driver in Kentucky said the cameras can detect yawning, which prompts a voice to tell the driver to pull off the road for 15 minutes.
While the cameras do not provide a live video transmission, certain safety violations can alert headquarters, which may contact the driver while on the road, CNBC said.
"We are investing in safety across our operations and have rolled out a number of resources to provide delivery service partners with information to help them keep drivers safe when they are on the road," Amazon told the BBC.
Amazon says it may also use the video recordings for incident investigations or package theft.
Privacy advocates already have spoken out against the cameras.
''I don’t think (Amazon) even knows yet all the ways they will use the video that is collected by these devices,'' according to the deputy director of the digital rights group Fight for the Future Evan Greer. ''It just means that every Amazon vehicle will now also be an Amazon surveillance camera.''
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