South Korea security expo features AI sound detection, crowd control help

The expo, titled the International Security Exhibition and Conference, featured hundreds of companies unveiling AI-powered products and services aimed at improving safety.

These innovations include detecting various sounds like car accidents or distress in care homes, and managing crowd sizes in areas at risk of overcrowding. The event took place last week in Goyang, close to Seoul.

Interest in AI has spiked, particularly after OpenAI's ChatGPT launch in late 2022, leading companies like Samsung Electronics to advance their generative AI capabilities.

Deeply, a startup from Seoul, presented its Listen AI service at the expo, capable of identifying sounds from screams to explosions through surveillance cameras, aiding city surveillance and care home monitoring. The company is also developing gunshot detection technology for markets like the U.S.

Another company, Gasi, offers an AI service to measure foot traffic, assisting in crowd control, a significant concern after a tragic stampede in Seoul in 2022. This service is operational in several South Korean cities, using smart scanners to analyze and display crowd density.

Geomexsoft is developing a system to aid in locating missing persons by analyzing clothing colors through public surveillance, a tool beneficial for municipal authorities.

The conference also featured international participants, including U.S. data storage firm Seagate and security companies from Shenzhen, China, highlighting the global interest in security technologies.

South Korea's security market is expected to grow, driven by AI innovations, with predictions suggesting it will reach 7.3 trillion won ($5.4 billion) this year.

However, the sector faces challenges, such as the malicious use of generative AI by hackers, underscoring the need for advancements in detecting AI-based cyber threats.