Sao Paulo's expansive AI facial-recognition system, Smart Sampa, has successfully apprehended thousands of fugitives and criminals but has also been plagued by numerous mistaken arrests.

• The system has led to the capture of 3,000 fugitives and nearly 4,000 people caught in the act of committing a crime since its introduction in 2024.
• Smart Sampa involves 40,000 cameras across the city, monitored by police at the Smart Sampa monitoring center.
• Despite successes, over 8 percent of identified fugitives were released due to errors, including an 80-year-old retiree mistaken for a rapist.