Seattle Police Department don put one officer, Adam Sun, on administrative leave after he use one pair of AI smart glasses to record promotional video for Chinese company, Rokid Global.
The film, wey dem take from Sun point of view while he wear the glasses, show scenes inside police precinct, for police investigation, in and around department weapons lockers, and inside Sun police car while he dey drive, among other places.
The footage dey frenetic and Sun dey hype the glasses throughout. At one point, Sun daps one man wey hold small goat.
Rokid post the video next to other promotional videos on its Facebook page and other social media sites earlier this month. Since then, dem don remove the post, and no other version dey online.
On September 10, somebody file complaint against Sun with city Office of Police Accountability and SPD put him on administrative leave. That reaction show say SPD consider the incident serious.
Security experts don identify specific concerns about Chinese smart glasses, as well as ones wey US companies like Meta produce.
If police officer in US receive money to promote Chinese company, e fit raise additional concerns. China, politically US adversary, dey heavily surveil its citizens in wetin dem describe as surveillance and digital police state.
Rokid don hype the glasses thermal facial recognition function as important tool for police, to allow cops identify offenders almost instantly. State law currently prohibit this use of facial recognition, but e be integral element of how police use the glasses for China, and na big selling point for Rokid. Rokid previously pitch the glasses and their thermal capabilities to US companies and consumers as COVID detection tool.
Several city and SPD policies appear to collectively prohibit police officers from using smart glasses to film nonpublic areas of police precincts and posting those videos online. These include policy wey say sworn employees may not wear any personally owned camera device, restrictions on wetin officers fit post on their own social media, and citywide prohibition on use of unapproved AI.
SPD policy manual prohibit use of smart glasses to record enforcement activity while on duty. Even so, department management feel need to clarify.
Within days, Assistant Chief Robert Brown send this edict to SPD staff: Effective immediately, no Seattle Police Department personnel go utilize any type of personally owned recording devices, like Meta glasses, Rokid glasses, digital recorders, etc., to record video and/or audio while on duty. Posting of any video or audio clips wey dem obtain this way na prohibited. Any such posts wey currently exist must remove immediately. Exceptions fit dey granted at executive level, assistant chief or above, for specific need to use such device for legitimate law enforcement purpose where use of Body Worn Video no go suffice. This order no alter use of recording devices routinely used to conduct investigations.
SPD no answer our questions apart from confirming say Sun dey on administrative leave. Dem refer us to Office of Police Accountability, which confirm say complaint against Sun dey.
