UK commits £1.8m to boosting airport security with AI

The UK government has sunk £1.8 million into the development of cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) to bolster security and help alleviate wait times at some of the country's busiest airports. Eight projects have been chosen to trial technology that the government hopes will help bridge the gap between maintaining robust security measures and offering a quick and easy-to-use service for passengers. Security Screening Technologies, a small research team based in Derbyshire, has been given the nod to test an AI system that's been trained to identify suspicious objects in footwear, including explosives. If successful, the technology would mean passengers would no longer be required to take their shoes off during pre-flight security checks. A sophisticated scanning system is also being developed by Sequestim, a small team based in Wales, that promises to provide a way for security staff to scan passengers as they pass through security gates without the need to take off outer clothing.