Cybersecurity researchers in India are recommending AI-powered systems to speed up and improve the accuracy of searches for missing people. They note that conventional methods often fall short when time is limited.
National Crime Records Bureau figures show that 424,235 people remain untraced across the country, including 264,934 women. In Tamil Nadu, 5,524 cases are still open.
G. Deepak Raj Rao of the National Forensic Sciences University in Chennai explained that AI can review thousands of hours of CCTV footage in real time and spot matches that human teams might miss. He added that the first 24 to 48 hours are especially important in cases involving children.
Senthil Kumar Ilango, a researcher in AI applications for investigations, pointed out that these tools can also examine social media activity and terrain data to guide search teams. He noted the lack of a shared platform that could link records across states and districts.
Officials at Southern Railway stated that facial recognition cameras using AI are planned for stations to assist in identifying missing individuals.