Software is sued by a human

65-year-old Chicago resident Michael Williams has filed a lawsuit against the city on grounds that a controversial AI program called…

65-year-old Chicago resident Michael Williams has filed a lawsuit against the city on grounds that a controversial AI program called ShotSpotter led to his essentially evidence-less arrest, The Associated Press reports.

ShotSpotter is a computer program using special equipment installed on the streets. As soon as a microphone detects a gunshot (or something similar to a gunshot), the software informs the police. It is believed to work more efficiently than the old way — when police reacted to people’s phone calls. The company’s executives affirm that in up to 85% of cases, people don’t call 911 when they hear a gunshot sound — for different reasons. This software is expected to help reduce the crime rate in the USA.

There are some articles in media in which Shot Spotter is criticized for its inability to differentiate gunshots from other loud sounds. But I am not going to go into technical details. Instead, the reason why I write this post is the fact that artificial intelligence enters our life, and, unfortunately, it makes mistakes too. And when it comes to a person’s freedom, such errors may have a devastating impact.

For me, it is a signal of change — a sign indicating that the future will be different from the present. There is software helping judges with decision-making by analyzing judicial practice. We all encounter AI while shopping online. Now we can be arrested and even imprisoned by AI. But it also can give a boost to some new industries. Law firms will add new services to their repertoire — they will promise their customers to protect them from mistakes made by software. IT experts will create computer programs that will measure the efficiency of AI independently and so on. Which opportunities do you think this AI’s intervention in our lives may also bring?