Thread

1. delichon · 1790389911 · focus · HN ↗

   > Regardless, the true takeaway of Isaacs’ experience is that ALPR technology, whether it’s from Flock or any of the other competitors in this space providing the same functionality (Axon, etc), is dangerous not only because it is so easily abused by police (or even by hackers) to invade the privacy and liberty of citizens, but also because it enables a lazy police department to outsource basic critical thinking to machines and then take action based on a single data point to ruin a person’s life.

   The accusation that some machine made any decision here goes beyond the reporting in the article. It seems concocted to raise AI alarm. All we have is that it supplied accurate data that police then abused. That isn't in the vicinity of "outsource[d] basic critical thinking to machines".

   I want such general government surveillance banned, but the machines in this story had no more volition than a breathalyzer.

   1. LocalH · 1790442868 · focus · HN ↗

      Piles of evidence that humans tend to treat AI as infallible, just like the police did here. They didn't use this as a point for further investigation, they saw the match and said "let's go get her" without so much as looking at the damaged vehicle for paint transfer, which should be remedial-level police instruction.

      Modern AI was and is a mistake. It's only going to get worst before it gets better.

      Unfortunately, our current government in the US is hard AI-pilled (oh, sorry, "super-intelligence-pilled"). They use it every day to present propaganda to the public via social media.

      Ban AI use in all branches of government, and in policing. At least until there are ethical standards put in place that are very heavily punished when violated.

      Also, state and federal level politicians should be prohibited from using social media in anything other than a purely personal basis without mention of political office or without speaking on the topic of politics. Want to post cool pictures of your family? Go for it. Speaking to your constituency? Must be strongly vetted for ethical violations, and punishable by immediate removal from office and a 10-year blacklist.

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