Robots replace cops as they patrol city streets with cameras despite lack of evidence they’re any better than humans

AS theft and crime has run rampant across the country in recent years, some retailers are resorting to artificial intelligence to combat the criminals – even at the expense of human jobs.

However, as more states have adopted the use of security robots, many remain concerned as to whether these high-tech robo-cops are actually effective at deterring crime .

Getty

Getty

AFP

AFP

For over the last decade , California-based tech and robotics company Knightscape has sought to provide malls, apartment complexes, metro stations, office spaces, and even city streets with additional security in the form of a wheeled, heavy-duty robot.

The machines, like the K5 security robot , have been touted for their 360 degree video imaging and recording, license plate recognition abilities, mobile device signal detection, two-way audio capabilities, as well as smoke and carbon monoxide sensors, according to CNN .

Unlike manned security guards, one machine can operate 24/7 without breaks.

ROBO REPLACEMENTS

While it looks good on paper, there are worries that this AI technology will continue to replace security and policing jobs.

“You could cut down the number of security officers working, replacing them with this,” John Hassard, a loss prevention and security expert with Robson Forensic, told CNN.

“By default, this thing doesn’t take breaks, doesn’t fall asleep, and you absolutely know what its responses are going to be.”

Other security experts have pushed back against this notion, saying companies aren’t looking to replace human security guards or officers with the robots, but instead have them work side by side.

By having these autonomous guards handle repetitive tasks, experts say it gives more time for human officers to deal with complicated issues that involve emotional interactions.

Knightscope co-founder and Executive Vice President Stacy Stephens told CNN that their security robots work directly alongside human counterparts.

For example, the robots are programmed to issue alerts when an issue is detected with its security software.

These alerts then request the assistance of a human guard.

BUT DOES IT WORK?

As more cities like New York , Boston, and San Diego have adopted these robo-cops, the question still remains as to how well the automated guards deter or stop crime .

The reason why is missing data, according to Hassard.

He pointed to the fact that it is difficult to measure how well these security robot guards can deter individuals from committing crimes.

“Deterrence is a huge thing in security because we don’t want to catch people doing stuff. We want to keep them from doing it, which is tough to measure,” Hassard told CNN.

Are we seeing dramatic changes since we deployed the robot in January? No.

Westland Real Estate Group

These concerns aren’t new.

In 2021, a Las Vegas apartment complex known as Liberty Village saw a K5 robot guard deployed on the property in an attempt to lower the amount of 911 calls made from the complex.

While the area saw a drop in calls to police by that summer, the police department couldn’t confirm if it was due to the robot .

“I cannot say it was due to the robot,” Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Officer Aden Ocampo-Gomez told NBC News at the time.

Even Westland Real Estate Group, which owned the apartment complex, wasn’t fully convinced of any success.

“Are we seeing dramatic changes since we deployed the robot in January? No.” a spokesperson told NBC News.

Still, the company indicated it had hope that the robots could contribute to peace in the area in the future.

“But I do believe it is a great tool to keep a community as large as this, to keep it safer, to keep it controlled,” the spokesperson said.

Industry experts predict that these autonomous robotic security systems will continue to develop and get smarter over time.

As that happens, humans will be forced to adapt with how we respond to their changes.

With malfunctions and vandalism occurring to these robo-cops on a regular basis, some still are urging security offices and police departments not to rely heavily on this AI.

“It’s hard for me to imagine that they’re going to work out anytime soon in the marketplace when there are other technologies that can do a job, and also when human beings can just do the job,” Jay Stanley, a senior policy analyst for the American Civil Liberties Union, told CNN.

Knightscope did not immediately respond to The U.S. Sun’s request for comment.