Shoplifting is having an impact on prices in many local stores, now one company is using “AI,” artificial Intelligence to help businesses detect thieves in the act.
“My family started the business in 1998, when we bought Regal Marketplace,” said George Vemis, General Manager, Regal Marketplace.
Vemis said his Whitman business is a one-stop shop with food service, groceries, beer, wine, and liquor. But, it’s also a hotspot for thieves.
Vemis said $100 in stolen goods could cost the store $500 to break even.
“We had recently been hit by some professional shoplifters, who pretty much have, like, sewn-in pockets in their jackets where they can slip something in really quick and hide it really well,” said Vemis.
He said he came across “Veesion” on Instagram. The French-based company uses artificial intelligence to detect shoplifters in real-time.
Benoît Koenig, the chief of sales for Veesion, said a device was plugged into a store’s security camera system.
Using his laptop, he showed Boston 25 what the algorithm sees next to the original video stream. He said the algorithm relies on different bricks working together to recognize any gesture.