Customs plans to use AI to enhance efficiency

The Customs and Excise Department announced on Monday (July 29) that it is investigating the use of artificial intelligence to increase efficiency through its computer forensic lab.

Speaking at a press briefing, Senior Inspector Wong Wai-kei said the lab handles over 100 cases every year, noting a rise in complexity and case volume owing to big data.

Wong added that customs are working to boost the accuracy of its technology.

"The accuracy of our system is around 80 percent. This 80 percent figure is based on our previous training data. This accuracy can be influenced by various factors, such as data volume or complexity," he said.

"However, our technical personnel are currently fine-tuning this system. We hope to improve our data model and increase accuracy."

Wong also said the technology would help with the analysis of digital evidence, such as text, images, and videos.