South Korea implements AI-powered 'hologram' police officers to watch over neighbourhoods

Crime rates in South Korea reportedly decreased after authorities implemented hologram police officers, a 1.7-meter  (5 feet 7 inches) tall 3-D projection. According to the South China Morning Post, the three-dimensional projection, developed by Hologrammica, a South Korean tech company, was introduced in October 2024.

The digital officer wearing a uniform "suitable for the entire year" runs between 7 pm and 10 pm at Jeo-dong 3 Park in Jung District. Every two minutes, the officer plays a prerecorded message, reminding park-goers that they are under CCTV surveillance and that "in the event of violence or other emergencies, the police will respond in real time."

Speaking about the hologram, Chief of the Seoul Jungbu Police Station, Ahn Dong-hyun, in a statement, said:

"The hologram guide serves as a smart policing tool that boosts the public’s sense of security while deterring unruly behavior. We will continue expanding crime prevention measures using AI technology to create safer and more welcoming parks for our citizens."

The AI-powered hologram police helped reduce the crime rate in South Korea

South Korea deploys hologram officer to deter crime, and it's effective.

Since its installation in a Seoul park, reported crimes during active hologram hours have decreased by about 22%, data shows. pic.twitter.com/u0b7R9BBFn

— Pirat_Nation 🔴 (@Pirat_Nation) August 28, 2025

On July 19, 225, the Korea JoongAng Daily cited a report from the Seoul Jungbu Police Station. According to the reports, the authorities compared data from October 2023 to May 2024 with October 2024 to May 2025, which claimed that the life-size hologram police officer helped reduce the crime rate by 22 percent.

In a statement, South Korean officer Kim Hyun-Don stated:

"After introducing this holographic officer, crime rates dropped by 22 percent. The biggest impact was on impulsive crimes, such as drunk violence or disputes."

Meanwhile, another police officer claimed that, even though the figure isn't a real cop, it still creates a psychological impact on people.

"Although it is clear upon closer inspection that the person isn’t real, the mere perception of police presence has had a significant deterrent effect," they said.

According to the outlet, the project targets areas with high law enforcement needs and alcohol-related disturbances, as part of the stations' "Creating Safe Parks in Jungbu" initiative.

Many internet users jokingly compared the AI-powered hologram police to a ghost.

"You sure they don’t just think it’s a ghost," one user commented.

"spoofy AF , imagine you're going to take some beers with frens and then you found that ghost haha," another user remarked.

"Don’t they know it’s not real?" another user wrote.

"Really... yall think people see a hologram officer and are deterred or do you instead think the criminals see a ghost and flee the area..," another user said.

Other users questioned the effectiveness of the digital police, writing:

"Fake police officers with mobile speed traps exist at least since 2022. The question is - are they effective on the long run?"

"How effective is a scarecrow? Birds quickly learn it is inanimate right? So that hologram is a waste of public money," another user wrote.

"Imagine getting arrested by a hologram. Future is wild. Wonder if it works because people think it's real or just the presence deters crime," another X user said.

Stay tuned for more updates on this topic.