Customs to consider using AI to improve efficiency

Applications of AI


Adeline Lau

The Customs Bureau will consider introducing artificial intelligence into its computer forensics laboratory to improve the efficiency of evidence analysis.

Wong Wai-kei, a senior investigator at the Computer Forensics Laboratory, said the system would improve the efficiency of investigations as a single command could be issued to search for required information within seconds.

“The way we did it in the past was having a colleague sit in front of a screen for an hour and watch an hour of closed-circuit television footage. With an AI system, they could potentially process an incident in just a few seconds by simply entering the relevant commands and searching,” he said.

“The system's accuracy is about 80 percent, but it can be affected by various factors, such as the volume of data,” said Chiu Kat Wu-lan, acting assistant attorney general for computer forensics and information technology security.

It is expected that accuracy will improve through improved data models, and the system architecture will be established in the short term, she added.

Currently, the lab has 15 computer forensic personnel who are responsible for analysis, decrypting hidden files, providing real-time support at crime scenes and maintaining the integrity of evidence, officials said.

He added that dozens of team members from various departments are also deployed and can be summoned to crime scenes to provide technical support.

An increasing number of case types require computer forensic lab support, including assistance in investigating money laundering, dangerous drugs and smuggling activities.

Meanwhile, the volume and complexity of electronic data being processed is growing, necessitating active research into new technologies to assist in criminal investigations, Customs said.

To that end, Customs has invested about HK$600,000 in developing a computer system that uses AI to assist forensic scientists in analysing electronic data such as text, images and videos.

Wong said the lab has handled more than 100 cases each year for the past five years.

The rise in cyber-tech crimes, improved smartphone capabilities and widespread infringement on auction sites pose challenges to computer forensics work, Chiu said.

In response, the lab has also developed specialized forensic tools to examine smartphones, strengthening officers' ability to trace digital footprints online.

adelyn.lau@singtaonewscorp.com



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