â Massachusetts Institute of Technology ( MIT ) is reportedly spending more than $3 million to install over 500 AI-powered surveillance cameras across its campus as part of a multi-phase security expansion. While the university says the project is intended to improve campus safety, students have raised concerns over facial recognition capabilities, expanded surveillance and how the collected data could be used. â According to MIT's student newspaper, The Tech, these new cameras will be capable of real-time face and object classification, including detection of motion, crowds, face masks, and other attributes. Defending the rollout, MIT spokesperson Kimberly Allen said the cameras are "part of regular efforts to promote campus security," adding that the data collected is "retained up to 30 days" unless an exception is granted. â More than 500 AI cameras planned across campus â According to documents reviewed by The Tech, installation of the new surveillance system began in November 2025 and is expected to continue through September 2026. â The project includes 521 AI-integrated cameras across academic buildings, residence halls and outdoor locations along Memorial Drive. Of these, 501 are single-lens cameras, and 20 are quad-lens models capable of monitoring multiple directions simultaneously. â The expansion will also add 67 exterior cameras and 13 new "Code Blue" emergency phone towers, each equipped with surveillance cameras, public address systems, emergency lighting and pan-tilt-zoom cameras. â Most of the project's nearly $2 million camera contract has been awarded to Siemens, while telecommunications contractors LCN and Picardi Electric are handling installation, wiring and related infrastructure work. â Cameras use AI for real-time detection â The primary camera supplier is Hanwha Vision, whose Wisenet AI cameras use deep learning algorithms to identify and classify people, vehicles, and other objects in real time. â According to technical specifications cited by The