AI-backed video surveillance may be coming to downtown Kaiserslautern. (U.S. Justice Department)

The Kaiserslautern City Council voted Monday in favor of testing video surveillance supported by artificial intelligence in parts of the city center.

The pilot project would cover areas near the K in Lautern mall, the Fackelstrasse pedestrian zone and the squares near City Hall and the Pfalztheater. The AI-assisted system would detect behaviors such as hitting or kicking and alert police.

Footage would remain pixelated unless action is needed, and recordings would be stored for 72 hours, according to the city’s application to the state of Rheinland-Pfalz to become a model region for video surveillance.

Supporters cited safety concerns downtown, while opponents raised issues of privacy and data security. The measure passed with 42 votes in favor, nine against and one abstention.

The project would roll out in phases, beginning with the installation of traditional surveillance cameras. No target date was announced for the launch.