HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — On Wednesday, the Houston City Council approved the expansion of the Houston Police Department’s use of artificial intelligence (AI) in video surveillance.
The council agreed to a one-year contract with Airship AI Holdings, Inc., valued at nearly $178,000. Under this agreement, the company will install 64 cameras across the city and provide additional server space. The specific locations for these cameras have yet to be determined.
The Houston Police Department (HPD) requested and recommended this deal, which has sparked some concerns among the public.
“I’m all for less crime, but privacy is very important and should be maintained,” John Zandi told in response to the new cameras.
Carroll Robinson, a professor at Texas Southern University and former city council member, foresees potential issues.
“Some innocent person, misidentified, not by a real-life person but by a camera, ends up in the criminal justice system, incarcerated at the county jail,” he said.
Robinson, along with his colleague Dr. Michael O. Adams, has called for state legislation to protect against racial discrimination through AI.
Airship AI Holdings is the sole provider of tech support for this system.
“So, no one can look at it and examine it to make sure what they say it’s doing is what it’s actually doing?” Robinson questioned.
This debate is ongoing nationwide: how reliable is facial recognition technology, and who will oversee the cameras?
Despite concerns, some see benefits for a city where the police department struggles with staffing and faces high crime rates.
“If it could recognize people accurately, it could reduce the time spent identifying or searching for individuals, so I think it would be a good thing overall,” said Ashton Argo, in support of the initiative.
