An innovative new AI app – AgeAI – that provides automated and accurate facial age estimation has received Primary Authority approval from Peterborough & Cambridgeshire Trading Standards, meaning it has been endorsed for use by retailers across the UK.
AgeAI is made by technology company Privately SA. With age estimations so accurate – it can identify 18–20-year-olds with 100% accuracy as being under 25 – stores can automate age checks, support their field staff and more effectively avoid the costly fines that come from selling age-inappropriate products to minors.
The app supports staff by accurately estimating client age and reducing confrontation around ID checks, which can create friction in stores and impact workers in the long run. AgeAI enables retailers to streamline age verification, automate the recording of refusals, reduce bottlenecks at checkout and ensure compliance without impacting customer satisfaction.
“No responsible store owner wants to sell alcohol, vapes, cigarettes, fireworks or indeed any age-inappropriate products to a minor – the fines are significant and persistent offenders can even be closed down,” said Deepak Tewari, CEO, Privately SA. “Peterborough & Cambridgeshire Trading Standards’s approval of AgeAI is a great endorsement that this application is a great fit for retailers selling restricted items across the UK, enabling them to take active measures to demonstrate compliance.”
AgeAI has undergone rigorous testing, including EAL3 certification, and has been successfully deployed in Europe and the US. The app is GDPR (UK) certified and is already in use by almost 50 stores across the UK.
Privately SA developed AgeAI to automate age detection online/offline to protect children and give them age-appropriate experiences. During the past year, Privately has carried out almost one million age check transactions in retail environments.
“Providing minors with age-appropriate user experiences is a major priority in 2024 and beyond,” said Business Hub Manager for Peterborough & Cambridgeshire Trading Standards Mark Oliver. “The AgeAI solution is a really good example of how technology can be adapted to meet the needs of businesses working in increasingly regulated and challenging retail environments.”
