California’s lookout cameras will be equipped with AI to give faster alerts of wild fires. This use of AI was sparked by 2021 legislation that created the Office of Wildfire Technology, Research and Development.
Houston + ShotSpotter Technology
A Houston Chronicle investigation found that Shot Spotter technology hasn’t made a dent in crime statistics. Since implementation, response times by police officers has spiked. “Does (ShotSpotter) pull patrol officers off of other calls? Absolutely,” Douglas Griffith, president of the Houston Police Officers’ Union said. “But it gets our guys there very quickly and helps us, one, to stop any shooting that’s actively taking place, and No. 2, it also saves people that have been shot…You take the good with the bad.”
why are cities quitting Shotspotter technology?
Dayton, Ohio is saying bye-bye,bye to using shotspotter technology that had been alerting its police force to shots fired. Why did they stop using it? According to the Dayton Police Department, it was difficult to prove the effectiveness of the technology. Researchers say the microphones Shotspotter uses can count fireworks as shots, and can miss shots fired directly under the microphone.
Route Fifty | Why Dayton quit ShotSpotter, a surveillance tool many cities still embrace
add AI voices to your fear list
The world can be a scary place. I just read AI is now imitating voices of your friends, family members, and colleagues to make scam calls to extort money/data/information. There’s a special place for people who do this.
Route Fifty | AI scam calls imitating familiar voices are a growing problem—here’s how they work
data breaches at the 2 largest U.S. pension systems
CALPERS and CALSTARS both reported data breaches this past month. Hackers accessed names, social security numbers, birth dates and other confidential information of roughly 769,000 retirees and beneficiaries. The hackers accessed the information through a vulnerability in a vendor’s cybersecurity system.
Governing | The Nation’s Two Biggest Pension Systems Report a Data Breach
hacking EV chargers
At the start of the Ukraine war, hackers tweaked charging stations along the Moscow–Saint Petersburg motorway in Russia to show anti-Putin messages. A charger in Illinois has been hacked with anti-Biden messages. In May of 2022 the Journal of Energies published an article discussing the vulnerabilities of public EV chargers. It is recommended that home chargers not be connected to the internet. Here’s the big picture folks: imagine if multiple public EV chargers are hacked, and together these 1000s of grid access points are a means to attack the grid.
Route Fifty | Hackers already infiltrate EV chargers. It could get worse.
biometrics for alcohol sales?
Washington State’s Liquor and Cannabis Board will take up proposed rule changes on biometric identification for liquor purchases. There’s a long line of vendors for the technology.
The conversation started because a law firm representing food and beverage businesses that serve alcohol raised the issue. All signs point to the board waiting for the Legislature to act.
Route Fifty | Handprints for IDs? State liquor board discusses biometrics for alcohol sales
New Jersey deep fake bill
New Jersey Legislature is tackling deep fakes. I want to say there is a joke here, but let’s reward positive behavior. The bill, S3926 (2023 | NJ) would create a new crime by adding “false depiction through such manipulated media to the state’s identity theft statutes.” Defraud a single person, 18 months in jail. Defraud 5+ people, 5 years in jail. The person whose identity was used can also pursue civil cause of action.
Route Fifty | New Jersey Lawmakers Take Bipartisan Swing at Deepfake Regulation
a.i. bill of rights
Connecticut is on its way to an a.i. bill of rights. Public Act 23-16 (2023) would create a special committee to “make recommendations on how AI should be regulated and on a potential bill of rights based on the blueprint released last year by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.”
Route Fifty | Governor Paves the Way for an ‘AI Bill of Rights’
NYC new drone rules
For years, drones were prohibited in the boroughs. Now a $150 permit and NYPD approval gets you drone time. The requirements are that you apply more than 1 month out, be insured, have certificate of authorization from the Federal Aviation Administration, & disclose what they hope to record.
Governing | Drone Operators Balk at NYC’s Strict Permitting System