LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — AI has made its way to our Downtown Vegas crosswalks, and pedestrians have mixed feelings.
Downtown Las Vegas is known for the lights, the entertainment, and now cameras that can read your eyes. They are meant to assist people in crossing streets. Some pedestrians, like DJ Plender, fully support this safety feature.
“It would be way more beneficial than looking at it like a counter or a time.”
16 intersections in downtown will be fitted with this new technology. The AI looks at your body language and your gaze, then flips the light for you. No button press needed.
DJ says a lot of deaths can be prevented.
“A lot of lives have been lost historically due to human error. So maybe having that as a safety net could be extremely beneficial, such as at a crosswalk,” he said.
Pedestrian safety advocates like Erin Breen say this is exactly where AI can shine.
MORE ON FOX5: City of Las Vegas plans to launch AI crosswalk pilot program downtown
“Having technology now that can do that for them. You know, I was never a fan of requiring more of the vulnerable road user, and now we don’t have to,” she said.
And Vegas needs it. Erin says the deadliest crashes don’t just happen on the strip.
“The majority of pedestrian fatalities happen in older neighborhoods, cheaper rents; not everyone can afford a car. So you have a lot more people on their feet.”
But not everyone’s convinced AI watching your eyes is the move. Other pedestrians belive its unnessecery, saying, “I don’t think I want somebody reading anything about if I’m going to cross; I can press a button. Not a big deal.”
Others say common sense is enough.
“I would say people should actually look at what the sign says and cross when they should.”
The additions to the downtown intersections are expected to be implemented later this year.
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