Punjab Launches AI Monitoring System ‘Talk to Camera’

The Punjab government has begun rolling out its new AI monitoring system, Talk to Camera across the province after the death of a seven-year-old boy who fell into an open manhole.

Officials say the system is designed to strengthen real-time monitoring and prevent similar incidents.

According to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, the technology was developed by the Punjab Safe Cities Authority (PSCA) to improve public safety and alert officials to potential hazards.

The Talk to Camera system can identify dangers such as open manholes, overflowing dumpsters, and visible smoke, sending immediate alerts to authorities for quick action.

The chief minister said the project was initiated following last week’s tragic accident on the Kahror Pacca–Lodhran Highway, where the young boy lost his life due to an uncovered manhole.

She stated that the new system allows officers to review the entire camera network through simple natural-language queries.

Officials reported that the technology was first tested in Lahore and Sheikhupura, where it showed strong results. After the trial phase, the provincial government approved expanding the system across Punjab to improve response times and support safer city management.

The initiative is part of broader efforts to prevent avoidable accidents and ensure better monitoring of public spaces through modern monitoring tools.