Train passengers in the UK had their emotions and demographic information recorded by AI cameras at major stations without their knowledge.

Network Rail conducted a covert trial, starting in 2022, using cameras at ticket barriers in stations like Glasgow Central, as well as London’s Waterloo, Euston, and train stations in Reading and Leeds. The images were processed by Amazon Rekognition, which analysed emotions and demographic details, raising significant privacy concerns.

Big Brother Watch, a civil liberties group, revealed the details through a freedom of information request. Network Rail defended the initiative, claiming it aimed to improve customer satisfaction and potentially boost advertising revenue. However, privacy advocates and experts have criticised the lack of transparency and the questionable reliability of emotion recognition technology.

Jake Hurfurt, head of research and investigations at Big Brother Watch, expressed alarm over the use of AI surveillance without public awareness. “Network Rail had no right to deploy discredited emotion recognition technology against unwitting commuters at some of Britain’s biggest stations, and I have submitted a complaint to the Information Commissioner about this trial,” Hurfurt said.

He added:”It is alarming that as a public body it decided to roll out a large-scale trial of Amazon-made AI surveillance in several stations with no public awareness, especially when Network Rail mixed safety tech in with pseudoscientific tools and suggested the data could be given to advertisers.”

Experts like Professor Lilian Edwards from Newcastle University and Professor Sandra Wachter from Oxford University condemned the use of emotion recognition as unethical, likely illegal, and prone to bias.

Professor Edwards highlighted the technology’s unproven nature and lack of transparency, calling it “unethical and probably illegal.”

Professor Wachter emphasised the potential for bias based on gender and ethnicity, stating, “AI cannot accurately read emotions. Surveillance of this nature not only violates privacy but also normalizes the assumption that everyone is a potential criminal, which is simply not true.”

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Network Rail has defended its actions by emphasising its commitment to security. “We take the security of the rail network extremely seriously and use a range of advanced technologies across our stations to protect passengers, our colleagues and the railway infrastructure from crime and other threats,” a Network Rail spokesperson said.

They added: “When we deploy technology, we work with the police and security services to ensure that we’re taking proportionate action, and we always comply with the relevant legislation regarding the use of surveillance technologies.”

The AI trial continues, though the part analysing emotions and demographics has ended, according to Network Rail.