Image by Jeremiah Lazo, from Unsplash
Retailers Use AI To Catch Shoplifters
- Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
- Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager
A Paris-based startup is using AI to detect shoplifting in retail stores through gesture recognition technology that does not involve profiling.
In a rush? Here are the quick facts:
- Veesion uses AI to detect shoplifting through body movement, not appearance.
- System sends alerts to store staff when suspicious gestures are detected.
- One store halved inventory losses in three months using the tech.
The gesture-recognition algorithm, developed by Veesion under the leadership of Benoît Koenig, uses in-store security camera footage to analyze movement patterns. The system generates brief video alerts to store staff when it detects suspicious gestures.
“The algorithm doesn’t care about what people look like. It just cares about how your body parts move over time,” Koenig told Business Insider .
The security system from Veesion operates by analyzing physical actions, instead of monitoring people or using facial recognition technology typical of older security systems. This helps avoid privacy concerns and bias while improving theft detection. Business Insider reports that this new system operates in more than 5,000 stores located throughout Europe, North America, and Canada.
Koenig, whose uncle runs three supermarkets in Paris, understands the impact of theft. “It’s not glamorous, but the ROI is quite direct,” he said to Business Insider. “You’re going to arrest shoplifters, recover inventory, and save money,” he added.
Business Insider reports that a U.S. retailer achieved a 50% reduction in losses from the health and beauty section after implementing Veesion’s system during its first three months of operation.
Koenig reports that the system produces relevant alerts in more than 85% of cases while also serving as a theft prevention tool for internal staff. “They know there is an AI in the cameras, so they’re going to be careful with what they do,” he said to Business Insider.
A $43 million funding will allow Veesion to expand its operations in the U.S. market, as retailers seek alternative solutions to product locking, as noted by Business Insider.
“This is much more than just recovering a few bucks,” Koenig said to Business Insider. “It’s about creating safer, smoother shopping experiences while keeping losses under control,” he added.
Image By Joshua Hoehne, from Unsplash
Nostalgia Tech: TikTok Is Bringing Back the BlackBerry
- Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
- Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager
In a twist of tech nostalgia, Gen Z is bringing back the BlackBerry.
In a rush? Here are the quick facts:
- Gen Z is reviving BlackBerry phones as a form of digital detox.
- TikTok videos romanticize “nostalgia tech” and physical keyboards.
- Users crave simpler phones to reduce stress and screen time.
The BlackBerry has experienced a revival among young adults who seek a digital detox from their connected lives.
“I just feel like the time of the BlackBerry phone was very nostalgic,” said Victoria Zannino, 25, in an interview with The New York Times . She posted a viral TikTok plea to express her sentiment:
Young TikTok users showcase their BlackBerry “dumbphones” by decorating them with rhinestones as part of the current Y2K aesthetic trend.
The writer Dan Kassim believes that this it’s more than retro fashion. “People are kind of burned out from the notifications and being always on,” he said to The Times. “BlackBerrys and early smartphones feel like a bit of a throwback to when phones were tools, but not, like, the center of your life,” he added.
“It’s interesting that it’s happening on TikTok, because I feel like TikTok is the most addictive form of social media,” Kassim noted
The Guardian reports that a four-year study tracking more than 4,000 adolescents found that nearly one in three showed signs of increasingly addictive use of social media or mobile phones, a pattern that may be linked to serious mental health issues, including a higher risk of suicidal behavior.
According to The New York Post , a 2024 Pew Research Center study found that nearly half of teenagers now report being online “almost constantly,” a sharp increase from 24% a decade ago.
While most Gen Zers were too young to use BlackBerrys during their heyday, they see the devices as a symbol of freedom. The devices serve as a means for people to break free from notification stress, social media pressure, and digital information overload
“The smartphone is not a source of enjoyment anymore,” said tech columnist Pascal Forget to CBC News . “They want to go back to simpler times using a simpler device,” Forget added.
The Times noted that BlackBerry discontinued its device support in 2022, while its 5G reboot attempt failed, so a modern relaunch seems impossible, however this hasn’t stopped young tiktokers to hunt them down on ebay.
