Flock Tests AI Tool That Identifies People by Driving Habits
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Flock is testing an AI tool called OS Investigate that identifies people by their driving habits, drawing on cameras in 6,000 communities, Wired reports. The tool cross-references vehicle movements with police case files, 911 dispatch logs, and commercial identity records to return a person's name, home address, relatives, and friends.
Key Facts
- Flock's OS Investigate, formerly Nightshift, draws on cameras in 6,000 communities to log driver movements.
- OS Investigate cross-references vehicle movements with police case files, 911 dispatch logs, and commercial identity records to return a person's name, home address, relatives, and friends.
- The OS Investigate search tool lets officers search an area drawn on a map using only a physical description, location, time, and behavior pattern — no license plate, name, or crime required.
- Flock says it is testing the product with selected law enforcement partners and has not disputed the capabilities Wired describes.
The OS Investigate Tool
Flock's AI tool, formerly called Nightshift and now named OS Investigate, draws on a network of cameras across 6,000 communities to log driver movements, Wired reports. The system lets investigators find a witness to a crime by analyzing vehicle movements near a crime scene. That information is cross-referenced with police case files, 911 dispatch logs, and commercial identity records to identify a person's name, home address, relatives, and friends. Flock says it is testing the product with selected law enforcement partners and has not disputed the capabilities described by Wired.
Search and Chatbot Features
The search tool lets officers search for people in an area drawn on a map using only a physical description, a location, a time, and a pattern of behavior. No license plate, name, or existing crime is required to begin a search. The OS Investigate chatbot accepts prompts, including pre-loaded examples such as 'find me witnesses based on vehicles most seen in [neighborhood] during [last 14 days] during [daily timeframe].'
Police and Expert Reactions
Former police officer Noel Pichardo, who reviewed the software and prompts for Wired, called the tool 'completely insane' and said Flock 'literally tracks people.' A current police officer who remained anonymous told Wired the witness-finding aspect makes him 'slightly uncomfortable' but that law enforcement should use every tool available. Flock operates cameras in 6,000 communities and has not disputed the capabilities Wired describes.
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Flock Tests AI Tool That Identifies People by Driving Habits
