Amazon Plans AI-Powered Cameras to Monitor Delivery Van Drivers

Big Brother could be coming to Amazon’s delivery vans soon.

The company plans to install high-tech video cameras in Amazon delivery vans in a move that it says is aimed at improving safety but that will surely ignite questions about privacy. The company recently disclosed the plans by sharing an instructional video explaining the cameras with the contractors who operate the Amazon-branded delivery vans that are ubiquitous in many neighborhoods.

In the nearly 7-minute-long video—which was viewed by The Information and is accessible on Vimeo—the company demonstrates how the cameras will use artificial intelligence to detect risky behavior by drivers and bark verbal warnings like “Distracted driving,” “No stop detected” and “Please slow down.” Amazon’s camera plans for its vans haven’t been previously reported.