Sniffing out trouble: Customs dogs remain vital in the age of AI

As artificial intelligence and advanced scanning systems transform border controls, customs services still rely on one of their oldest detection tools: trained dogs. AI can analyse images and data, identify patterns and help customs officers decide which shipments or containers warrant closer inspection. But customs officials, dog handlers, and other specialists from more than 50 countries gathered at the World Customs Organisation's 7th Global Canine Forum in Tashkent argued that this does not remove the need for dogs trained to detect scents. Antonio Lo Parco, head of the WCO's Regional Office for Capacity Building for Europe, told Euronews that dogs possess detection abilities “that AI cannot substitute”.