在便利店和超市，总有小偷假装成顾客来偷东西，所以这些地方往往装有监控。现在有家公司更进一步，给监控加上了人工智能，能及时发现小偷作案。
Using AI to catch shoplifters
by Nell Lewis
New artificial intelligence software is being used in Japan to monitor the body language of shoppers and look for signs that they are planning to shoplift.
artificial /ˌɑːtɪˈfɪʃ(ə)l/ adj. 人工的、人造的
intelligence /ɪnˈtelɪdʒ(ə)ns/ n. 智力、智能
monitor /ˈmɒnɪtə(r)/ v. 监控
body language 肢体语言
shopper /ˈʃɒpə(r)/ n. 购物者（由shop加上表示人的后缀-er）
shoplift /ˈʃɒplɪft/ v. （冒充顾客）在商店里偷东西
The software, which is made by a Tokyo startup called Vaak, differs from similar products that work by matching faces to criminal records. Instead, VaakEye uses behavior to predict criminal action. Company founder Ryo Tanaka said his team fed the algorithm 100,000 hours worth of surveillance data to train it to monitor everything from the facial expressions of shoppers to their movements and clothing.
Tokyo /ˈtəʊkiəʊ/ n. 东京（日本首都）
startup /ˈstɑːtʌp/ n. 初创公司（由start和up组成）
differ /ˈdɪfə(r)/ v. 不同于
criminal /ˈkrɪmɪn(ə)l/ adj. 犯罪的
record /ˈrekɔːd/ n. 记录
predict /prɪˈdɪkt/ v. 预测
action /ˈækʃ(ə)n/ n. 行为
founder /ˈfaʊndə(r)/ n. 创办人（由found加上表示人的后缀-er）
feed /fiːd/ v. 送进（机器）、输入
algorithm /ˈælɡ(ə)rɪð(ə)m/ n. （计算机软件的）算法
surveillance /səˈveɪləns/ n. 监视、监控
data /ˈdeɪtə/ n. 数据
facial /ˈfeɪʃ(ə)l/ adj. 面部的、脸部的（由face加后缀-ial变成形容词）
expression /ɪkˈspreʃ(ə)n/ n. 表情（由express加后缀-ion变成名词）
movement /ˈmuːvmənt/ n. 移动（由move加后缀-ment变成名词）
clothing /ˈkləʊðɪŋ/ n. 衣服、衣着
Since VaakEye launched last month, it has been rolled out in 50 stores across Japan. Vaak claims that shoplifting losses dropped by 77% during a test period in local convenience stores. That could help reduce global retail costs from shoplifting, which hit $34 billion in 2017 according to the Global Shrink Index.
launch /lɔːntʃ/ v. 开始、启动
roll /rəʊl/ out 推出、铺开
claim /kleɪm/ v. 声称
loss /lɒs/ n. 损失
convenience /kənˈviːniəns/ n. 方便、便利
global /ˈɡləʊb(ə)l/ adj. 全球的、全世界的
retail /ˈriːteɪl/ n. 零售
hit /hɪt/ v. 达到
billion /ˈbɪljən/ n. 十亿
shrink /ʃrɪŋk/ n. （货品的）损耗
index /ˈɪndeks/ n. 指数
However, using AI to catch thieves raises all kinds of ethical questions. "While the incentive is to prevent theft, is it legal to prevent someone from entering a store based on this software?" said Euromonitor retail analyst Michelle Grant.
raise /reɪz/ v. 引起
ethical /ˈeθɪk(ə)l/ adj. 道德的、道德方面的
incentive /ɪnˈsentɪv/ n. 诱因、激励
theft /θeft/ n. 盗窃
legal /ˈliːɡ(ə)l/ adj. 合法的
based on 基于
analyst /ˈænəlɪst/ n. 分析师、分析员
This should not be up to the software developer, says Tanaka. "What we provide is the information of the suspicious, detected image.★ We don't decide who is criminal; the shop decides who's criminal," he said.
be up to someone 由某人负责
developer /dɪˈveləpə(r)/ n. 开发者（由develop加上表示人的后缀-er）
suspicious /səˈspɪʃəs/ adj. 可疑的
detect /dɪˈtekt/ v. 探测、侦测
image /ˈɪmɪdʒ/ n. 图片
★ 这句话里的逗号相当于and，其作用是使suspicious和detected并列，一起修饰后面的image
Yet that is precisely what concerns the human rights charity Liberty, which is campaigning to ban facial recognition technology in the United Kingdom. "A retail environment – a private body – is starting to perform something akin to a police function," said Hannah Couchman, Liberty's advocacy and policy officer.
yet /jet/ adv. 尽管如此
precisely /prɪˈsaɪsli/ adv. 准确地、正是（表示强调；由precise加后缀-ly变成副词）
concern /kənˈsɜːn/ v. 使担心、使担忧
right /raɪt/ n. 权利（human rights就是人权）
charity /ˈtʃærəti/ n. 慈善机构
campaign /kæmˈpeɪn/ v. 组织或参加社会运动
ban /bæn/ v. 禁止
recognition /ˌrekəɡˈnɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 识别、认出（facial recognition就是人脸识别）
body /ˈbɒdi/ n. 群体、团体
perform /pəˈfɔːm/ v. 做（某事）
akin /əˈkɪn/ adj. 相似的
function /ˈfʌŋkʃ(ə)n/ n. 职能
advocacy /ˈædvəkəsi/ n. 倡导、支持
policy /ˈpɒləsi/ n. 政策
Liberty is also worried about the potential of AI to fuel discrimination. Tanaka explains that since the Vaak software is based on behavior rather than race or gender, this should not be a problem. But Couchman remains skeptical. "With technologies that rely on algorithms – particularly in regard to human behavior – the potential for discrimination is always there," she said.
potential /pəˈtenʃ(ə)l/ n. 潜力
fuel /ˈfjuːəl/ v. 增加、加强
discrimination /dɪˌskrɪmɪˈneɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 歧视
race /reɪs/ n. 种族
gender /ˈdʒendə(r)/ n. 性别
skeptical /ˈskeptɪk(ə)l/ adj. 持怀疑态度的
rely /rɪˈlaɪ/ on 依靠
in regard to something 就某事而言
Then there is the issue of transparency. "Are people aware of what's happening?" asked Couchman. "Do they consent? What happens to the data? Might it be shared?"
transparency /trænˈspær(ə)nsi/ n. 透明度、公开性
aware /əˈweə(r)/ adj. 知道的
consent /kənˈsent/ v. 同意、允许
Tanaka does not dispute this. "There should be notice before customers enter the store so that they can opt out," he said. "Governments should operate rules that make stores disclose information – where and what they analyze, how they use it, how long they use it," he said.
dispute /dɪˈspjuːt/ v. 表示异议
opt /ɒpt/ v. 选择（opt out意思是退出）
operate /ˈɒp(ə)reɪt/ v. 使生效
disclose /dɪˈskləʊz/ v. 披露（信息）、使公开（由close加上表示否定的前缀dis-）
analyze /ˈæn(ə)laɪz/ v. 分析
Christopher Eastham, a specialist in AI at the law firm Fieldfisher, said the framework for regulating the technology is not yet in place. "There is a need for guidance from regulators, who will ultimately need to decide in what circumstances the use of this technology will be appropriate or desirable as a matter of public policy," he said.
specialist /ˈspeʃ(ə)lɪst/ n. 专家、专业人士（由special加上表示人的后缀-ist）
framework /ˈfreɪmwɜːk/ n. 框架
regulate /ˈreɡjuleɪt/ v. 监管
in place 就位、到位
guidance /ˈɡaɪd(ə)ns/ n. 指导、指引（由guide加后缀-ance变成名词）
regulator /ˈreɡjuleɪtə(r)/ n. 监管者（由regulate加上表示人的后缀-or）
ultimately /ˈʌltɪmətli/ adv. 最终
circumstance /ˈsɜːkəmstɑːns/ n. 情况、情形
appropriate /əˈprəʊpriət/ adj. 合适的、恰当的
desirable /dɪˈzaɪərəb(ə)l/ adj. 想要的、称心的（由desire加后缀-able变成形容词）
matter /ˈmætə(r)/ n. 事情
public policy 公共政策（指政府的政策）
（如果您发现某些行的最后一个单词被分成两半了，请把您使用的浏览器升级到最新版本就能正常显示了。）
网友评论