What to know about the KCATA facial recognition plan on public buses | Porter

Kansas City could become one of the first U.S. cities to install artificial intelligence-powered facial recognition cameras on public buses, a plan drawing opposition from privacy advocates and a city councilman. Critics say the transit agency should invest in people, not surveillance technology.

Here are key takeaways:

• The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority partnered with SafeSpace Global to pilot facial recognition cameras on about nine buses, though the rollout was delayed due to technical and financial issues after being timed to the FIFA World Cup.
• Up to 30 buses could eventually be equipped with the AI software out of KCATA’s fleet of about 236 buses, with a possible fall or winter launch, chief mobility and strategy officer Tyler Means said.
• Facial recognition has been banned in Boston, Portland and San Francisco because of false match risks, and more than a dozen wrongful arrests have occurred in recent years tied to police reliance on the technology, according to the American Civil Rights Union.
• Sixth District Councilman Johnathan Duncan, recently appointed to the KCATA Board of Commissioners, opposes the program and says the agency has a trust issue with riders and the broader community.
• Duncan wants KCATA to instead expand its transit ambassador program, which employs 36 multilingual workers who greet riders, offer directions and help deescalate conflicts, building trust through human interaction rather than surveillance.
• San Francisco’s BART ambassador program produced a 53% reduction in safety-related 911 calls and a 41% decrease in systemwide crime through collaboration between unarmed ambassadors and sworn officers.

The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.