Punjab Deploys AI to Flag School-Age Children Spotted on Streets During Class Hours

What Happened

The Punjab Safe Cities Authority (PSCA) has launched an artificial intelligence-based monitoring system designed to spot child labour and flag school-age children seen outside classrooms during school hours, according to a PSCA spokesperson. The system is connected to the existing Safe City camera infrastructure and operates continuously, with activity focused between 9:30am and the end of the school day. It is intended to identify cases of children being kept out of school or engaged in work when they should be in class.

Why It Matters

The full significance is not yet clear from the available reporting, as details on the system's accuracy, enforcement outcomes, and child safeguarding protocols have not been disclosed.