How AI-powered tech landed man in jail with scant evidence

[jdege]

https://apnews.com/article/artificial-intelligence-algorithm-technology-police-crime-7e3345485aa668c97606d4b54f9b6220
How AI-powered tech landed man in jail with scant evidence

Williams was jailed last August, accused of killing a young man from the neighborhood who asked him for a ride during a night of unrest over police brutality in May. But the key evidence against Williams didn’t come from an eyewitness or an informant; it came from a clip of noiseless security video showing a car driving through an intersection, and a loud bang picked up by a network of surveillance microphones. Prosecutors said technology powered by a secret algorithm that analyzed noises detected by the sensors indicated Williams shot and killed the man.

“I kept trying to figure out, how can they get away with using the technology like that against me?” said Williams, speaking publicly for the first time about his ordeal. “That’s not fair.”

Williams sat behind bars for nearly a year before a judge dismissed the case against him last month at the request of prosecutors, who said they had insufficient evidence.

[TSKNIGHT]

Minneapolis has been using Shotspotter for a few years. Not sure if it has played a significant role in court though.

Being jailed or even worse, convicted of a crime with an AI as the only witness would be a nightmare. How would you defend against an inanimate object?

[crbutler]

More correctly, how can one verify the AI algorithm as being accurate beyond a reasonable doubt.

If they could get pictures showing that his car was there, and multiple audio traces showing where the noise was, and that the noise was consistent with a gunshot inside a car, and that you were driving the car, and that your car/smartphone verified the data, then maybe you could put a strong circumstantial case together.

Apparently, all the DA had was their AI saying looks like this, and they couldn’t find any collaborating proof.

[Lumpy]

Actual artificial intelligence is extremely rare, but we have lots of artificial stupidity.

[Holland&Holland]

Minneapolis has been using Shotspotter for a few years. Not sure if it has played a significant role in court though.

Being jailed or even worse, convicted of a crime with an AI as the only witness would be a nightmare. How would you defend against an inanimate object?

You would have to have a police force 1st to act on shots detected.

[ex-LT]

Actual artificial intelligence is extremely rare, but we have lots of artificial stupidity.

I'm pretty sure most stupidity is genuine.

[xd ED]

Actual artificial intelligence is extremely rare, but we have lots of artificial stupidity.

I'm pretty sure most stupidity is genuine.

The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.

Albert Einstein

[BigBlue]

That's one of the things about AI... It isn't something the lends itself to easy observation or inspection. AI 'learns' or 'trains' itself based on input assessment and guidance, but it's not like a hard-coded program.

[smurfman]

When Williams says it's not fair to use that type of technology against him, it sounds almost like a confession. He probably should have let his lawyer do the interview for him. Now, Williams might be facing closer scrutiny based on that comment.