Movidius and Hikvision are teaming up to power a new lineup of smart cameras that are equipped with artificial intelligence. These new cameras will be able to tell if a driver is distracted by mobile devices.

Movidius said in a press release that the smart cameras would be powered by its Myriad 2 Vision Processing Unit. The Myriad 2 will be utilized for running Deep Neural Networks to perform a higher accuracy video analytics.

The Deep Neural Networks will allow security systems to automatically detect anomalies such as intruders trying to access secure locations and suspicious packages. This new technology can even detect if a driver is texting while he is driving.

"Advances in artificial intelligence are revolutionizing the way we think about personal and public security," says Movidius CEO, Remi El-Ouazzane. "The ability to automatically process video in real-time to detect anomalies will have a large impact on the way cities' infrastructure are being used."

According to The Verge,  a camera that is running the Myriad chip would be able to classify the objects it sees moving throughout the scene. A moving car or people walking would be something that should trip an alarm, while a bush or a tree would be something it could ignore.

Smart cameras that have this kind of visual intelligence is something to be excited about. Hikvision mentions a case where a senior citizen, who was lost, was easily found and identified through the facial recognition built into its camera.

This kind of technology, however, could also be a cause for concern. A camera that can find a lost senior citizen or identify a criminal suspect can also be used for invasive government surveillance, as the case of protesters targeted through facial recognition.

The first products of the Myriad 2 will be shown at the 13th China International Exhibit for Public Safety. The exhibit began on October 25 and will run until October 28.