The Pima County Sheriff’s Department will not implement artificial intelligence to assist in writing police reports, as county supervisors unanimously rejected a proposed $18 million amendment to its contract with Axon Enterprise. The amendment sought to extend the existing contract, established in 2021, until 2036, and allocate up to $45 million for Axon’s products, including AI tools like Draft One, which generates reports from body camera footage. Supervisors expressed concerns over locking the county into a long-term contract amid rapidly changing technology and policies. The vote was unified across party lines, with criticisms focusing on prioritizing deputy funding over AI investments and the lack of a competitive bidding process for the initial contract. The board also initiated plans to audit Axon’s access to sheriff’s department data. Overall, the decision reflects significant skepticism about the implications of AI in policing and the investment of public funds.
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