NEW YORK — The brightest member of the New York City Police Department is being retired.
After a test in 2023, the Knightscope K5 security robot tasked with patrolling the transit system’s busiest subway station appears to have lost its job.
New York City Police confirmed that K5, who weighed 420 pounds and needed human companions, was already involved.
“The Knightscope K5 has completed its pilot deployment in the New York subway system,” a department spokesperson said Friday.
According to The New York Timesthe robocop was parked among “a mountain of cardboard boxes” in an empty storefront, officially retired from service.
At the time of its debut, Mayor Eric Adams said the robot’s effectiveness would be examined and the city would decide its best use.
The Brightest Member of the NYPD: Knightscope K5 Security Robot
Security cameras already cover most of the transit system in every district, so why add another one on wheels?
The president of NYC Transit said that many of the station cameras “are hidden or not obvious to criminals. This is a reminder that technology is watching people.”
Officials said K5 would not record audio or use facial recognition technology, but the robot’s arrival galvanized transparency groups. Last summer, the Legal Aid Society called for investigations into the police department’s use of new technologies regarding the Police Oversight of Surveillance Technology Act.
“The Adams Administration continues to be distracted by false claims of high-tech solutions to long-standing problems,” a statement from the legal group said following reports of the K5 recall.
2024-02-03 04:10:22
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