I feel many cloud billing models are set up to initially account for the abusers of the service, and then account for the legitimate users. (in other words everyone’s assume to be a scammer or abuser, until you prove otherwise).
It’s an interesting concept, a corollary would be walking into a physical store and being treated as a thief, until you check out and make payment. (in fact the opposite is true generally as they check your receipt on exit, or you walk through the magnetometers on exit). I’m not saying it’s right or wrong, just making an observation.
These days I get the feeling of being treated as a thief whenever I walk into a Walmart or some Home Depots. Gotta go through a pedestrian gate set up well inside the store (turnstile basically) and lots of cameras in your face specifically to say “Hey you thief, we’re watching you with our AI”.
I've not tried Amazon walkout technology but it sounds like a good application of technology. if the system knows you took something, just charge the user for it rather than making a fuss about it.
> Though it seemed completely automated, Just Walk Out relied on more than 1,000 people in India watching and labeling videos to ensure accurate checkouts. The cashiers were simply moved off-site, and they watched you as you shopped.
The way Wal-Mart, Target and others work though isn't that you ever get to explain things.
Something scans wrong? Employee punches something in and you don't get wrung up for an item? Some AI camera system decides you've done some sort of switcheroo?
They will have the police come to arrest you next time you're at the store and have long since forgotten the details of your last purchase. Now your chance to explain involves lawyer fees - way more expensive than most credit card fees.
If you notice the mistake and try to explain to an employee before it's chargable as theft, and think you get it cleared up: there's still a good chance you still get charged and also the employee is fired and/or charged too. Major retailers assume their employees are just as much of a thief as they think you are.
Between the cameras, the guards everywhere, the anti-thief systems on products, the alarm portals and the ticket check, the whole experience is super aggressive.
Many stores have visible anti-theft defenses which inconvenience honest people, such as placing items in locked cabinets where you have to call a seller if you want to look at them.
This is more common in the higher-crime areas, but even in the low-crime places, this seems to be very common a lot with small and expensive things (jewelry, high-end electronics).
It’s an interesting concept, a corollary would be walking into a physical store and being treated as a thief, until you check out and make payment. (in fact the opposite is true generally as they check your receipt on exit, or you walk through the magnetometers on exit). I’m not saying it’s right or wrong, just making an observation.