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TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A British tourist who just arrived at Denpasar's I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport in Bali was repeatedly blocked at the automatic passport gate, or autogate. The cause was an artificial intelligence (AI) system that used to match the passport holder’s face with their photograph was fixated on a David Bowie image printed on the tourist’s T-shirt.
Terry Bezant, the tourist, said he felt under pressude because he failed multiple times to pass through the gate. "I tried five times to get through the barrier, using three different gates," he told The Independent on March 6, 2025. "But the Indonesian AI systems would not budge. The screen consistently told me to consult an official – but there were none to be seen."
The autogates at I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport were installed last March with 30 units. In September 2024, the Directorate General of Immigration at the Ministry of Law and Human Rights added another 90 autogates, with 60 units operating in the arrival terminal, while the remaining 30 units are located in the departure terminal. These autogates, with a success rate of about 98 percent during trials, have reduced the immigration inspection rate to 15–25 seconds per person.
Bezant's wife, Deborah, cleared the autogates without issues. "As I was on the very verge of breakdown, Deborah brilliantly identified the problem," Bezant said. "The dumb machine was trying to match my passport photo to the image of a young David Bowie emblazoned on my T-shirt. Surprisingly there seemed to be little overlap.."
By using AI, it was found that the image of David Bowie was taken in 1969, when the star was 22 years old, while Bezant is 74 years old.
The tourist could not take off his shirt out of respect for Indonesia, as it’s a Muslim-majority state. He eventually wore a thick fleece to cover the image, amid tropical temperatures. Only then was he able to walk to the airport arrival gate.
Approaching Nyepi
The couple hope to be back before the Balinese Nyepi holiday on March 29, before the island effectively shuts down—including the airport.
Tourists have been warned about the day of silence, as was the case for Australian government. The religious holiday will be observed from 6:00 a.m. of March 29 to 6:00 a.m. the next day.
"You'll be required to stay indoors, turn off lights, and keep noise to a minimum. Shops, restaurants and tourist sites will be closed although hotels will continue to operate. Movement or travel, physical work, and all forms of entertainment and recreation is prohibited," the warning stated.
Autogate AI recognition failures are not unique to Indonesia. Several airports in the UK experienced autogate failures last year, resulting in long queues in March, as reported by The Independent.
Editor’s Choice: Bali Immigration Deports 2 Polish Tourists for Violating Rules on Nyepi Day
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