Artificial intelligence is being used to make human lives easier when it comes to everything from deciding what to cook for dinner to helping people keep up with their appointments. Now it’s even being used in police work. The Oklahoma City Police Department is among a handful of law enforcement agencies using AI to help write crime reports.
Officers will have an AI chatbot listen to body camera video then write up a first draft of an incident report for the officer. The head start saves valuable time that could otherwise be spent protecting and serving. Police officers who have tried the technology have given positive feedback about its accuracy and efficiency, according to The Associated Press.
However, some prosecutors, police watchdogs and legal scholars are concerned. They worry officers may lean too heavily on AI and not be able to offer information on the witness stand.
There are also concerns about racial bias and prejudices, which have already been found to be an issue in AI.
AI is not necessarily a new tool in fighting crime. Many police agencies have already adopted algorithmic tools to read license plates, recognize suspects’ faces, detect gunshot sounds and predict where crimes might occur — all of which have led to privacy and civil rights debates.
Lawmakers have created safeguards for those, but AI-generated police reports are so new, there are few, if any, protections.
Before testing AI-written police reports in Oklahoma City, the department ran it by prosecutors, who advised some caution before using it on high-stakes criminal cases. For now, the technology is only being used for minor incident reports that don’t lead to someone getting arrested.
The new AI is called Draft One and was built with the same technology used for ChatGPT by Axon. Axon is the main supplier of police body cameras in the U.S. and is also known for creating tasers.
Other police departments trying out the Draft One technology include Lafayette, Indiana and Fort Collins, Colorado.
Axon is not the only company creating AI tools for police. Startups like Policereports.ai and Truleo also have similar products.
