New AI Tool for Public Safety Could Allay Concerns About Privacy

Technology companies have begun working to develop tools that better address privacy concerns when applying AI-powered products in public safety. 

Veritone, a California-based technology company, is set to release a new product this summer that can track suspects, missing persons, and vehicles without relying on facial recognition technology. The enhancements to other types of identification tools have come after a number of states began banning the use of potentially more invasive programs by law enforcement, including facial recognition technology.

From the GovTech article:

The application uses AI to identify people as “human-like objects,” he said. That means it avoids the use of facial recognition and other biometric markers and instead relies on such traits as, say, the color of a person’s shoes and clothes, or whether they are wearing sunglasses.

Maryland lawmakers have worked extensively to collaborate with public safety stakeholders to craft legislation applying appropriate guard rails for new technologies like facial recognition programs in law enforcement.  SB 182 / HB 338, as an example, were multi-year, bipartisan efforts lead by Senator Sydnor and Majority Leader Moon that passed during the 2024 legislative session. The provisions of these bills were ultimately supported by both the Maryland Chiefs and Sheriffs Associations as well as the Office of the Public Defender. New tools, enhanced to avoid privacy concerns, could potentially be streamlined into community level applications even faster, and work in conjunction with existing protocols for other AI-reliant technologies in Maryland.

Read the full GovTech article. 

Interested in Artificial Intelligence and how it affects county government? MACo’s Summer Conference will offer several sessions focusing on AI, including our keynote, “Governing in the Age of AI: Transforming Public Services and Resident Engagement” on Thursday, August 15. Read all about our sessions in our Registration Brochure and be sure to register before July 12 for lowest rates!

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