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Chicago to stop using controversial gunshot detection technology this year

Chicago to stop using controversial gunshot detection technology this year

CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago won’t renew its ShotSpotter contract and plans to stop using the controversial gunshot detection system later this year, Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office announced Tuesday.

The system, which relies on an artificial intelligence algorithm and network of microphones to identify gunshots, has been criticized for inaccuracy, racial bias and law enforcement misuse. An Associated Press investigation of the technology detailed how police and prosecutors used ShotSpotter data as evidence in charging a Chicago grandfather with murder before a judge dismissed the case due to insufficient evidence.

Chicago’s contract with SoundThinking, a public safety technology company that says its ShotSpotter tool is used in roughly 150 cities, expires Friday. The city plans to wind down use of ShotSpotter technology by late September, according to city officials. Since 2018, the city has spent $49 million on ShotSpotter.

“Chicago will deploy its resources on the most effective strategies and tactics

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‘I couldn’t stop myself’: inside the 12-step program for internet addiction | Technology

‘I couldn’t stop myself’: inside the 12-step program for internet addiction | Technology

“Hi, my name is Sarah* and I am an internet and technology addict.”

So began a meeting on a recent Wednesday afternoon, as 18 people quietly gathered on a Zoom call. Text in their small video boxes showed they hailed from locations as disparate as Oregon, India and Namibia.

Sarah and the other attendees are part of a growing fellowship called Internet and Technology Addicts Anonymous, a 12-step program based on the principles of Alcoholics Anonymous that provides tools and support to deal with compulsive internet use. It launched with just a few founding US groups in 2017 and has quickly grown to have thousands of members around the world, with more than 100 online and in-person meetings in seven different languages.

Since Alcoholics Anonymous was founded in 1935, its 12 steps have been adapted for addictions and compulsive behaviors including overeating, overspending and gambling. Now the traditionally abstinence-based

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30 ‘Outdated’ Things People Refuse To Stop Using

30 ‘Outdated’ Things People Refuse To Stop Using

Just because there’s a host of fancy new gadgets and devices constantly being developed doesn’t mean that everyone’s rushing to embrace them. Many people are perfectly happy relying on the things they have and what they’re used to. New doesn’t always mean better… especially when the ‘ancient’ alternative is so reliable.

Case in point, the r/AskReddit online community recently had a blast opening up about all the ‘outdated’ technology that they don’t plan to stop using any time soon. From Windows XP to good old pen-and-paper, scroll down to see what they shared.

Physical books. I tried to get into ebooks but it’s just not the same as a physical book. Plus books have that fresh paper smell that’s so nostalgic

Limp_Telephone2280 , Abby Chung Report

‘Outdated’ and ‘obsolete’ tech is harder to root out than you might think. Case in point, Japan is notorious for relying on practically ancient

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