Woolworths expands self-checkout AI that critics say treats ‘every customer as a suspect’

After year-long trials Woolworths is expanding self-checkout AI camera technology to more than 100 of its supermarkets in NSW, Queensland and Victoria. Photograph: Loren Elliott/Reuters

Woolworths has expanded the use of technology that films customers scanning items at self-checkouts to 110 stores in three states, as critics say the functionality could make people feel they are under constant surveillance.

For the past year, Woolworths has trialled new self-checkouts with cameras installed overhead to observe customers scanning items. The company said artificial intelligence is used to detect when items are not scanned correctly, with footage of the scan recorded and played back to the customer instructing them to re-scan.