Artificial intelligence to analyze police body camera footage

2023-08-12 18:34:02, Tech CNA

Advocates of police reform in the United States have long argued that body cameras worn by officers would help reduce excessive use of force as well as increase public trust. But millions of hours of footage from so-called "body cameras" are difficult for supervisors to monitor. As Voice of America correspondent Shelley Schlende reports, artificial intelligence can come to the rescue.

Body cameras worn by Memphis police captured the moment a traffic stop turned into tragedy. Five police officers face charges in connection with Tire Nichols' death.

Review of the officers' body camera footage will be part of the criminal process. But according to Anthony Tassone, head of artificial intelligence company Truleo, the footage from body cameras worn by officers is rarely reviewed unless something big happens.

"To me, watching the video and talking to my law enforcement colleagues and friends, this is not the first time these officers have used this type of language, or been in that type of situation," he says.

According to him, the artificial intelligence program for police body cameras will help police supervisors to intervene earlier, just like supervisors in other sectors who monitor their employees' communications with customers. The example that Mr. Tassone gives is the banks.

"The idea of ??transcribing and analyzing employees to improve customer service has been around for a long time," he says.

The artificial intelligence system Truleo gives high marks when the police use formalities such as "ma'am", "thank you" and explain what they are doing. "Truleo" also indicates when an officer uses insults, threats or profanity.

Aurora, Colorado Police Chief Art Acevedo recently began using the program for a one-year period. The goal is to improve the negative behaviors of police officers.

"We will study the bad habits of policemen as well as their good behavior. We will show the good behavior to the other officers as well", he says.

The American Civil Liberties Union warns that governments should protect the rights of groups that may be affected by artificial intelligence analysis of police body camera footage.

"We need to know exactly how they're using that footage, we need to know exactly what they're not allowed to do with it," said Anaya Robinson of the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado.

According to him, this adjustment should be made before the police forces widely adopt the use of artificial intelligence./ VOA