Milwaukee Police Department Examines Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence

The Milwaukee Police Department is evaluating the potential use of generative artificial intelligence technologies that can generate draft reports using body-worn camera audio. Civil rights advocates and the prosecutor's office, however, are drawing attention to potential errors and reliability issues the system may create.

Artificial Intelligence and Report Writing

The Milwaukee Police Department is evaluating generative artificial intelligence technologies as part of its forward-looking policies. The department is not yet actively using this technology, but products like Axon's Draft One, which creates draft reports from audio recordings, are under review.

Civil Rights Advocates' Concerns

Amanda Merkwae, policy director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin, emphasizes that emerging technologies of this kind carry major risks such as errors, hallucinations, and bias for citizens facing charges.

Current Policy and Evaluations

The Milwaukee Police Department published its policy on generative artificial intelligence in January. According to this policy, AI-generated content is considered a draft, reviewed for accuracy, and explicitly noted in final work.

The Prosecutor's Office Approach

Deputy District Attorney Jeffrey Altenburg of the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office states that they are aware of the risks but that it could be useful with sufficient human oversight, while Matthew Torbenson expresses that AI cannot capture all details at a crime scene.