The Chico Unified School District is slowing down its rollout of hundreds of new cameras powered by artificial intelligence (AI).
The board purchased the security system designed by Verkada for nearly $2 million in December. It now won’t be using the cameras’ AI features, including facial recognition.
Tanner Johns, a music teacher at Bidwell Junior High, was one of more than a dozen people to voice concerns at Wednesday’s board meeting. He told NSPR he was happy with the board’s decision.
“I think the school board listened and made motions at the end to put to task answering many of the questions that the community came asking,” Johns said, “and I think they were listening.”
The board initially approved the contract without any public discussion.
This rattled many teachers and parents, including Elisa Kisling, who has a student in the district.
“The teachers are amazing. They teach things like “1984,” they tell our kids about Big Brother,” Kisling said.
But she felt like the AI surveillance system felt too much like George Orwell’s dystopian novel.
“Practice what you preach and protect our kids,” she said.
In response, the board voted to create a committee to discuss more details about how the cameras will be used before they’re set up on campuses.
The board also voted to draft a policy to possibly ban the use of facial recognition and AI in security altogether.
