FT: Kremlin reviewed Putin security systems following AI surveillance concerns

Russian security services temporarily disabled part of a specialised video surveillance system used to protect President Vladimir Putin and members of his inner circle following the reported death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, the Financial Times reported, citing unnamed sources.

According to the report, Russian authorities carried out additional checks on the system and sought to further isolate it from internet-connected networks before restoring its operation.

The Financial Times said the measures were taken amid concerns within the Kremlin over the ability of modern AI technologies to analyse vast amounts of video footage and identify individuals, movement patterns and locations from large surveillance networks.

Citing two sources, the newspaper reported that Russian security agencies had reassessed systems responsible for protecting senior officials after developments linked to intelligence operations in Iran.

According to the report, officials feared that advanced surveillance technologies could potentially be used to track the movements of high-ranking figures and gather sensitive information.

The Financial Times said modern AI tools are capable of processing millions of hours of video footage, identifying behavioural patterns and rapidly locating individuals across extensive camera networks.