Axon’s triangular aperture logo has quickly become a ubiquitous sign in the top right corner of police footage, but the company wants to increase its role in police work. On Tuesday, the inventors of the Taser launched Draft One, a generative AI software designed to convert camera audio into narration of police reports.
Axon touts Draft One as a tool to reduce the number of gun deaths in police operations, such as plainclothes police officers in Chicago fired 96 shots at a driver for a seating violation. Allowing AI to play a direct role in the criminal justice system seems like a recipe for disaster, considering the mistakes AI has caused for airlines and retailers.
Axon, formerly known as TASER International, created its namesake non-lethal weapon and brought the Taser to market in the 1990s in the form we know today. The company put a lot of emphasis on developing body-worn cameras in the 2000s, releasing the first in 2008. Axon now dominates the police market for body and vehicle cameras.
Axon claims Draft One is essentially a panacea for police departments across the country. The manufacturer estimates that the average officer spends 15 hours per week completing paperwork and that departments are understaffed, resulting in longer response times. Axon explains:
“Draft One is the latest major step toward Axon’s lunar goal of reducing gun-related deaths between police and the public. Axon designed Draft One to positively impact the evolution of what officers can achieve, enabling them to free up time for more meaningful and impactful work such as investigations, patrols, training, wellness and rest.”
It is extremely difficult to believe that AI-written police reports will lead to this fewer deaths. The announcement relies heavily on the philosophy that more police leads to safer communities. Hypothetically, draft one would ideally result in this more police interactions and more bodycam footage that would be transcribed by Draft One. Axon promises that safeguards will be put in place to prevent the AI from fabricating facts. The most important measure, however, is that a police officer must approve Draft One’s report.
If you want any job done right, including paperwork, you have to do it yourself. AI has been shown to be easily manipulated in several cases, including a Chevrolet dealer’s chatbot sold a Tahoe for $1. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone could convince an AI that a driver will resist arrest if he tells an officer he’s not speeding.