Artificial Intelligence for Policing Stirs Ethics Concerns
Comment: What could go wrong?
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A leading vendor of police body cameras and other law enforcement technology announced Thursday it would convene a panel of experts to serve as an “artificial intelligence ethics board.”
The company, Axon, formerly known as Taser, says its ultimate goal in developing artificial intelligence technology is to remove the need for police officers to do manual paperwork.
But a coalition of 42 organizations involved in civil rights and privacy issues responded swiftly to the board’s formation, raising red flags about emerging facial recognition technology and other issues.
Axon CEO and founder, Rick Smith, said in a statement that the company believes the advancement of AI technology will "empower police officers to connect with their communities versus being stuck in front of a computer screen doing data entry."
“We also believe," he added, "AI research and technology for use in law enforcement must be done ethically and with the public in mind."
The company says that 37 major U.S. cities have adopted its body-worn camera technology. Members of the eight-person board include academics, civil liberties and legal experts and police professionals. The company is offering a $5,000 annual stipend, plus $5,000 per meeting to members if they choose to accept the money, an Axon spokesperson said by email.
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