A Texas man has filed a lawsuit, alleging wrongful arrest and subsequent assault in jail, citing the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology as a contributing factor.
The 61-year-old individual had visited a DMV in Gonzales, Texas, with the intention of renewing his license, but to his surprise, he left in handcuffs. His arrest was linked to an armed robbery that occurred while he was on the opposite side of the country.
The robbery in question took place on January 22, 2022, at a Sunglass Hut in Houston, where two armed men stole thousands of dollars from the store, as stated in the lawsuit. During the robbery, the suspects ordered two employees into a back room and instructed them to remain there as they made their escape.
During the subsequent police investigation, they received a call from a loss prevention employee at EssilorLuxottica, the parent company of Sunglass Hut, who claimed to have identified the suspect using artificial intelligence and facial recognition software. The lawsuit alleges that this employee had collaborated with Macy’s loss prevention to make the identification.