Retina scanning is just the beginning, officials say.
We love to look to the future in this part of the world – and in terms of travel, it might be closer than we think.
Officials from the Ministry of the Interior say that immigration officers in the UAE will be replaced with artificial intelligence as soon as 2020, The National reports.
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Instead of having your passport and identity checked by a person, the new system will see current smart gates expanded so you can waltz straight through (as long as everything is in order, that is).
“We started with iris scan and face recognition and eventually, we won’t need any immigration officers at all,” Major General Dr Ahmed Al Raisi, the ministry’s general inspector, said at a press conference.
“People will just be able to walk through and they’ll be scanned. We’re planning to totally eliminate the presence of officers by 2020 hopefully and it will be fully deployed in all the country,” The National quotes him.
The system will first be introduced at Abu Dhabi’s new airport, set to open in 2019.
Artificial intelligence was set to change the way national security works on a global level, Al Raisi said.
“AI is the future, not just for security, but for the whole world.”
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Dubai Airport is about to get even more futuristic…
You’ll soon be able to pass through DXB’s security with a selfie
Back in October, we reported that Dubai Airport was trialling a virtual aquarium smart gate. It takes the form of a short tunnel, and the swimming fish encourage travellers to look around.
That means cameras can get a look at every angle of your face, allowing them to identify you quickly.
And we thought popping through with just a swipe of our Emirates ID cards was convenient…
Images: Getty
