Every year, more than 8 million people die worldwide due to diseases caused by tobacco, according to the World Health Organization. While many of these deaths are linked to long-term smoking, passive smoking in public places also puts others at risk. Frustrated by people lighting up in shared spaces, a Bengaluru techie decided to take matters into his own hands, with a little help from artificial intelligence. An AI device that “scolds” smokers A Bengaluru-based developer named Pankaj has created a small AI-powered gadget that detects people smoking in public and responds with audio meant to embarrass or discourage them. Sharing the project on X, he wrote: I HATE people smoking around me in public. So I built a device that plays audio of a baby coughing and Granny abusing in the local language whenever it detects someone smoking nearby.
The idea is simple: if someone smokes near the device, it plays a baby cough followed by a grandmother scolding them in the local language. How does it work?
The device uses computer vision to spot smoking behaviour in real time. According to Pankaj, it can: He explained that the system runs on a Raspberry Pi and uses YOLOv8 along with MediaPipe for detection. For audio output, he used Sarvam AI. As he described it: Nothing fancy, but it works. The current version is a basic prototype, and he is working on a 3D-printed portable version that could be easier to carry and use. Also read: Is your Google Account logged in on another device?
Real-world test at a bus stand Pankaj also shared that he tested the device at a bus stand. Tested at a bus stand today. One guy actually looked around, confused, and put out his cigarette. He’ll never know it was me.
The response, he said, showed that the audio cue was effective in discouraging smoking, at least in that instance. In Karnataka, smoking in public places can attract a fine of ₹1,000. The device, however, works more as a social nudge rather than formal enforcement. Not his first viral AI project This is not Pankaj’s first unusual invention. Earlier, he built an AI tool called BuffetGPT, which scans a wedding buffet and creates a personalised eating plan based on a person’s appetite and food choices. However, he claimed that the project led to backlash and even threats. He said he was open to criticism but was disturbed by messages that allegedly targeted his family. Also read: Google tells staff embrace AI or accept voluntary exit
A blend of tech and social commentary Pankaj’s smoking-detection gadget sits somewhere between a tech experiment and a public-health statement. It shows how low-cost AI tools can be used creatively, sometimes playfully, to influence behaviour in shared spaces. Whether it becomes a widely used solution or remains an internet experiment, one thing is clear: AI is no longer just about chatbots and apps. Sometimes, it can even come with a coughing baby and a scolding granny.
