Smart-weapon and body-camera manufacturer Taser International announced two new acquisitions Thursday that will create an artificial-intelligence division.
Axon AI, named after its subsidiary, Axon, will be formed from the acquisitions of Dextro Inc., a computer vision company that makes video searchable in real-time and an image processing team from Fossil Group Inc. Both acquisitions are focused on increasing processing speed and accuracing of digital images gathered, according to the company announcement.
Police forces across the United States that use Taser’s body cameras to gather video from the field will be able to sort through large amounts of recorded video with artificial-intelligence software that scans in real time and processes video faster.
Taser CEO Rick Smith said the technology will save time for police by streamlining record keeping of the video the body cameras record.
Critics say the technology exposes the public to privacy violations, possibly turning police body cameras into real-time government surveillance.
