AI Translation Technology in Police Body-cams

V.Iyengar, Editor-in-Chief
📍 Silicon Valley, USA

Police officer bodycams of the City of Campbell will now be equipped with Artificial Intelligence that translates conversations in real time during traffic stops.

The Campbell police department, the first police department in the South Bay to implement this technology, welcomes the integration of this technology into their daily jobs, and has described it as an “equalizer”. Campbell  residents are diverse, speaking a wide array of languages, and this technology can translate dozens of languages in real time, allowing officers to have one-on-one conversations with drivers in the driver’s native language. 

Before the introduction of this technology, if an officer pulled over a driver who did not speak any English, they would have to call an officer who speaks the language of the driver, which even if available, would take a very long time. 

However, concerns were raised earlier this year about another application of AI in Campbell’s police department: the use of AI in transcribing body cam footage to create first drafts of police reports. 

This product, sold by a company called Axon Draft One, was praised and later adopted by police departments in Fresno, San Mateo, East Palo Alto and Campbell for its speed and ability to save time otherwise spent on administrative work. 

Many activists, however, criticized this choice, raising concerns regarding civil liberties and the safety of this technology, especially due to the potential inaccuracies that could arise due to it. 

Despite these concerns, members of the police department have mostly had positive things to say about the technology, praising the fact that officers are now able to spend less time doing administrative work, and more time out in their communities.