How artificial intelligence is watching driver behaviours in Tasmania

There are 16 mobile phone and seatbelt detection cameras operating statewide, acting as extra eyes for Tasmania Police to help improve road safety and nab drivers who do the wrong thing.

Such cameras have been operating in other states for years, but were rolled out in Tasmania in August.

The highly visible, trailer mounted cameras continuously take photos of every car that passes, with a lens that captures an image of inside of the vehicle.

Artificial intelligence, which is basically a computer system that mimics human intelligence, then analyses these photos to see if a mobile phone can be detected, or if a seatbelt is not being worn.

AI systems have been trained to repeatedly analyse photo image pixels with various calculations.

They learn what a mobile phone looks like, through repeated code, and can then detect the same data in all information that it analyses.

National expert in artificial intelligence Roland Goecke, who is director of the Canberra's Human-Centred Technology Research Centre, has said AI speed cameras are a good example of technology freeing up human time.

He said AI speed cameras automatically take photos of cars exceeding speed limits, identify registration plates, and then send out infringement notices in the mail.

Tasmania Police Assistant Commissioner Adrian Bodnar said the artificially intelligent software detects potential offences, which are then sent to a human.

"Images where a suspected offence is detected are then transmitted to a secure database for adjudication by a trained operator in the Department of Police, Fire and Emergency Management," Assistant Commissioner Bodnar said.

"Only images of suspected offences are viewed by a human, with the remainder being automatically destroyed."

A State Growth spokesman said there had been no privacy concerns complaints arising from the cameras.