AI has spooked Putin: Russia alarmed by new surveillance technologies following events in Iran

Advances in artificial intelligence for video data analysis have raised concerns among Russian security officials over the surveillance systems protecting Russian leader Vladimir Putin and his inner circle.

Source: The Financial Times

The Financial Times has reported, citing sources familiar with the matter, that Russian security services temporarily shut down part of a specialised video surveillance system, separate from the nearly 300,000 cameras used to monitor Moscow's citizens. The system was later switched back on after a thorough check and attempts to isolate it from the internet.

These measures were prompted by reports that Israeli intelligence had extracted large volumes of video footage from Iranian CCTV cameras to analyse movements and identify meeting locations of Iran's top leadership. This reportedly allowed them to map the timing and locations of events involving senior officials.

This incident illustrates a new stage in the development of intelligence technologies, where artificial intelligence can process millions of hours of video from thousands of cameras and identify specific objects, people or events based on complex queries.

Intelligence officials told the FT that modern systems already go beyond conventional facial or number plate recognition and enable the analysis of behavioural patterns, including people's movements, changes in appearance and recurring vehicle routes.

Capabilities like these are raising concerns in various countries, as they effectively turn urban camera networks into tools for mass analysis and surveillance. Once a person has been identified, the systems can automatically generate detailed profiles of their movements and interactions.

Experts note that advances in AI have enabled searching video footage using text queries. This allows analysts to identify events such as the transfer of objects between people or vehicles that frequently appear in specific locations.

Meanwhile, such technologies are being actively developed by states themselves, in particular China, which is investing in smart surveillance systems capable of interpreting scenes and human behaviour.

Some countries are already implementing security measures. For example, governments are reviewing the use of foreign-made video surveillance equipment due to concerns over potential backdoors and cyberattacks.

Despite this, experts stress that these systems are not perfect. Adversaries can use simple methods to disguise themselves or evade surveillance, rendering even the most advanced AI analysis ineffective.

Analysts believe these technologies are fundamentally changing the nature of modern intelligence, transforming ordinary cameras into tools for global, real-time data collection and analysis.

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