SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS — The Springfield Police Department is embracing new technology. The city just signed a nearly $6 million contract with Axon Enterprise for new equipment, including artificial intelligence. But not everyone is happy with this decision.
The American Civil Liberties Union said using artificial intelligence is a slippery slope, but Springfield Police Chief Ken Scarlette said the equipment they use makes his department more efficient.
Artificial intelligence is gaining momentum. From social media to search engines, AI is everywhere, including police equipment.
“Well, I think AI is everywhere in a lot of the things we do every day,” Scarlette said. “When you talk about spell check on a computer, it has AI.”
The new equipment includes new body-worn cameras and tasers. Scarlette said the AI they use just makes their job easier.
“From a law enforcement perspective, we use the AI editorial software that Axon provides,” Scarlette said. “That helps us edit videos before we send them out via FOIA. This actually saves time, making things more efficient for our agencies.”
What they won’t be using is Axon’s “Draft One” technology, which uses AI to create reports using their body camera audio.
“The Springfield Police Department does not use artificial intelligence as it relates to the Draft One model on the market,” Scarlette said.
Ed Yohnka, public policy director for the American Civil Liberties Union, said AI could lead to increased distrust of law enforcement.
“AI by nature is not completely accurate,” says Yohnka. “So there is misidentification, both in the field of faces and facial recognition, and in the field of transcription.”
Yohnka said law enforcement agencies must ensure the reward outweighs the risk.
“We know that communities are the safest, and the communities that are safest are those where there is trust,” Yohnka said. “And collaboration between police and the community they serve.”
Earlier this week I canceled the contract with Axon Enterprise explaining Draft One, but we learned that while the body camera SPD purchased is compatible with Draft One, SPD will not be using the feature.
