Wired reports Flock Safety built an AI tool that can track drivers

In short: WIRED reports that Flock Safety is testing a police AI tool that can identify drivers and track vehicles by their movement patterns.

What happened

WIRED reports that Flock Safety, a major maker of license plate reader cameras, has built a new system for police called OS Investigate. Flock has previously said its technology cannot recognize, identify, or track individuals, but WIRED says this tool is designed to do exactly that.

According to WIRED, the tool draws on camera networks in more than 6,000 communities. It can look for cars based on patterns, like vehicles that pass through a neighborhood often, or cars that travel together. Think of it like searching a huge photo album of traffic, then asking the system to point out “the same car showing up again and again.”

WIRED says OS Investigate can also connect plate numbers to names and addresses by reaching into police records and commercial databases, which can include details like phone numbers and relatives. The report describes 69 built-in “prompts” (prewritten search requests), including one that asks for “witnesses” based on the vehicles most seen in a neighborhood during a set time.

Flock told WIRED it is testing the product with a small group of law enforcement partners. A spokesperson said it is still in development and may change before any wider release.

Why it matters

Privacy and legal experts quoted by WIRED say the tool could make it easier for police to search for people who are not known suspects, based mainly on where and how they drive. For regular drivers, that raises questions about how much of your daily movement can be collected, searched, and linked back to your identity, even if you are not accused of a crime.

Source: Wired