HUNTSVILLE, Ala (WHNT) — Earlier this year, the City of Huntsville proposed a new type of technology, adding artificial intelligence cameras to city garbage trucks. The proposal raised concerns and prompted plenty of questions from community members back in July.
Now, the city of Huntsville told us they’ve decided this technology will not be a part of the year’s city budget. The new plan is to allow for more research and community education.
City officials said putting the AI cameras on garbage trucks could scan and detect potential code violations and public works issues on the truck’s routes. Those suggestions included potholes, dangling utility wires, graffiti, or illegal dumping.
The system the city was considering comes from a company called City Detect.
As the truck goes along its trash route, the cameras collect and store data.
The city said it allows its staff to become more effective in doing their jobs, but many community members were frustrated by the proposed idea, questioning why every household that pays for trash pick-up should also be under surveillance.
In a city council meeting back in July, 10 people raised concerns, saying the proposal was intrusive and felt like “big brother.”
In that same council meeting, the city council voted to push the decision on the technology to Sept. 25.
The city now tells us this technology will no longer be included in their budget for the new fiscal year, which starts in October.
The council is scheduled to formally withdraw it during its Sept. 25 meeting.
A City of Huntsville spokesperson gave us this statement:
“City Detect offers a range of applications, from identifying potholes to spotting dangling utility wires. at this time, there is no urgency to adopt the platform, and the city has chosen to take more time to evaluate its capabilities and fit for Huntsville.
As stewards of taxpayer dollars, we are committed to exploring innovative tools that help us work smarter and better serve residents and businesses.
We also recognize there has been misinformation about how these types of cameras function. They are already in use across the country in various public service roles. if the city decides to pursue this model in the future, community education and transparency will be central to the conversation.”
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