I am writing in response to your recent story discussing law enforcement agencies in San Luis Obispo County testing AI systems for drafting police reports and identifying evidence (“A SLO County police department and the DA’s Office navigate the first stages of AI,” Nov. 12). While the intention may be modernization, the current reality raises serious concerns that deserve public scrutiny.
AI is only a tool—and like any tool, it is useful only when it is accurate, transparent, and used by trained people who understand its limits. The problem is not the existence of new technology. The problem is the mistaken belief that a tool can replace human judgment, oversight, or the ethical duty to get things right the first time.
Right now, these systems are already showing signs of unreliability: omissions, inconsistencies, and interpretations that have real consequences for real families. When software designed to “assist” begins generating misleading or incomplete narratives, it doesn’t promote peace, fairness, or community trust. Instead, it can reinforce existing problems and even amplify them. That puts officers, defendants, and the whole justice system at risk.
If law enforcement is going to adopt AI, then the community deserves full transparency, proper testing, consistent human review, and a seat at the table. No technology should be implemented behind closed doors, and no tool should be treated as infallible—especially when people’s freedom, safety, and reputation are on the line.
AI can absolutely be one tool among many, but it cannot become the only tool, or the tool that overrides human experience, context, and accountability. We should all be concerned about system failures that are affecting outcomes right now, and we should all be part of the conversation about how these technologies are used.
Technology should support peace and justice—not undermine them. It’s essential that our community speaks up, asks questions, and demands responsible use before these systems are normalized.
Christian Andrew Orzano
Santa Margarita
The problem with the US is that thanks to Clinton era “,free trade” agreements and bank deregulation, America has been deindustrialized. Instead of jobs with livable wages producing exports, America’s working class were given credit cards and illegal immigration to keep costs low. Now, it’s run its course, we couldn’t even produce 25 cent M95 masks during a global epidemic.
I’m not sure why people are worried about AI “taking jobs,” there are no assembly lines to automate. We produce nothing, what’s really happening is now that WHITE COLLAR jobs are being threatened (by AI), all of a sudden jobs actually matter. Joe 6 pack was told to eat sh_t when his job was sent to Mexico and Vietnam but God forbid professionals should face unemployment. As a member of the working class, this is going to be rich. Welcome to hell.
Fly, as usual is FOS.
Sure those Ronnie Reagan (announced “free trade” with Mexico the day he ran for Prez), HW Bush who negotiated NAFTA and the 72% of GOP in the House amd 78% in the Senate who supported NAFTA , the one the best conservative Prez in the past 70 years, Clinton pushed through!
btw, 55% of the Democrats in the House and Senate opposed Ronnie’s NAFTA.
SENATE
AYE – 27 Democrats and 34 Republicans
NAY 28 Democrats and 10 Republicans.
House
AYE 132 Dem and 103 GOP
NAY 156 Dem and 44 GOP
But it was more than deindustrialization, it was financialization of the US economy, via tax cuts for the richest and the war on unions/working people.
Only one party has for 45 years fought exclusively for the richest of the rich, The Orange Cheeto being the latest to permanently gut taxes and regulators/regulations for them.
Not all Democrats and their policies have worked as promised, but 80% of GOP policies have hurt US, probably only 20% of the Democratics have.
One party fights for union rights, regulators on the beat (wait for Cheeto’s failures to make Dubya’s look like childs play) and GOOD GOVERNMENT POLICY
The CONServatives and their people have false premises, distortions and lies, nothing more!
In 2012 dollars
In 1980 the US had 10,000 families worth $100 million or more (2012 dollars)
By 2012 the US had over 50,000 families worth $100 million.
WooHoo. We made a small rich population
Middle class isn’t normal, the US created it via GOOD PUBLIC POLICY VIA GOVERNMENT
Look to most of Latin America, Asia and Eastern Europe, a small rich population, a small middle class (mostly doctors, lawyers and Biz owners) and HUGE poor populations
THAT’S WHAT THE US IS HEADING TOWARDS, UNLESS WE USE GOOD GOV’T POLICY