The European Union is about to employ border control guards with a difference: They aren’t human.

Soon people passing through the borders of Hungary, Latvia and Greece may be faced with the usual “Do you have anything to declare” question and the judge of the answer will be a lie-detection system powered by artificial intelligence.

That system, called iBorderCtrl, is part of a six-month pilot program. People crossing the four borders will have to fill out and sign some forms, upload documents such as their passport, visa and proof of funds, and then will be asked some questions by the virtual border guard. The questions will be personalized for gender, language and ethnicity.

According to an article in New Scientist today, the travelers might be asked “What’s in your suitcase?” or “If you open the suitcase and show me what is inside, will it confirm that your answers were true?” As they answer, they’ll be asked to look at a webcam and the AI will study the “microgestures” of the person.

IBorderCtrl will then make an assessment concerning the authenticity of the answers. If the computer says no, biometric information will be taken, such as face-matching, fingerprinting and palm vein reading. After that, the person will face a human guard for a more detailed check. If no lies were detected, the traveler will receive a quick-response or QR code and undergo a less detailed check.

Not surprisingly, the AI doesn’t get it right all the time. In tests, researchers said that the accuracy rate was 76 percent, but they’re hoping to bump that up to 85 percent. Since the program is just an experiment, no one will be prevented from traveling just because the machine spots some possible mendacity.

“We’re employing existing and proven technologies – as well as novel ones – to empower border agents to increase the accuracy and efficiency of border checks,” said project coordinator George Boultadakis of European Dynamics in Luxembourg. “‘IBORDERCTRL’s system will collect data that will move beyond biometrics and on to biomarkers of deceit.”

Boultadakis said that the technology is a consequence of “increasing terror attacks taking place on European Union soil, and the migration crisis.”

Image: Harshit Sekhon via Flickr