6thWave: AI News Hub

San Jose initiated a pilot program in February 2023 using Flock Safety’s AI-powered gunshot detection technology in several city sections, including Liz González’s East San Jose neighborhood. Over the first four months, the system alerted police to 123 shooting incidents, but data from San Jose’s Digital Privacy Office revealed only 50% were confirmed gunfire, while 34% were false positives. Following recalibration in July 2023, accuracy improved with 81% of alerts confirmed as gunshots and 7% as false alarms. This pilot marks San Jose as a leader in AI accountability, being the first city to mandate police department disclosure of such system accuracy data. Concerns about false positives are particularly significant for communities of color, who face heightened police interactions. Despite Flock Safety’s 90% accuracy claim and SoundThinking’s 97% for ShotSpotter, real-world data indicates these systems may not be as reliable. Other cities, like Champaign and Chicago, have reported much lower verification rates for gunfire alerts, suggesting a need for further scrutiny and community dialogue on the deployment of such technologies.

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