Residents and communities across the country are increasingly receiving AI generated scams and fraud attempts and most folks have no way to tell what is real. Moreover, leading researchers and experts across industries are warning the public about the potential major dangers of AI on societal and economic levels, on law and order, and beyond. Now is a crucial moment for Police Departments to serve and protect residents against AI scams and fraud, to anticipate what bad actors (both human and machine) will soon be capable of, and to take proactive measures. Talk to your community now before it's too late.
Choose a program "cadence" that fits your department, capacity, and community interest.
Choose a program "format" that fits your department, capacity, and community interest.
Schedule your first event as soon as possible.
By participating in the AI Community Safety Network, your Department provides residents:
Join this session to learn about what AI is, its numerous promises and perils, and how it is being manipulated to scam, defraud, or impersonate you or people you love. In this session you will hear how various experts, researchers, and policymakers are warning that AI may drastically affect us on a social and economic level. We also run through a series of prediction exercises and projections to see where the technology is headed in the very near future.
Residents leave with a stronger idea of how AI is progressing, a printed checklist, a verification phrase to agree on with their own family, and the department's non-emergency number.
An in-person support network for residents who feel they may have fallen victim to AI attacks can talk with your officers. Most of these scams are not reported either because victims are unaware, or they feel shame for falling for the scam. These clinics help to establish trust, and de-stigmatize the victim.
For residents who suspect something is on their phone or computer and don't know who to ask. Working from a fixed check-list, a designated volunteer or officer reviews installed apps and browser extensions, checks which accounts have access, turns on two-step authentication, updates the Operating System, and confirms that backups exist.
This clinic is a low-cost and community-oriented program that can invite local, sharp young people or teens to serve as the reliable "Tech Savvy Volunteers." This provides young people with service-oriented volunteer experience, and forms a sense of community and safety between those coming in for tech support. Often, we find that "tech savvy teens" are light-hearted, disarming, and eager to help out.
Provides seniors with a trusted, police-supported resource to contact prior to sending money, purchasing gift cards, granting remote access to computers, or responding to suspicious calls or emails.
This CARE program has been adapted from a Lincolnshire, IL Police Department program (of same name).
Operates through the police department's dedicated number or non-emergency line. Residents can call when:
The department member will determine whether the situation matches common scam patterns.
Your department provides vetted volunteers or partner organizations that can:
See "Tech Savvy Teens" as described above.
To request more details on executing this program, reach out to info@aisafetyawarenessproject.org
Answer questions that residents have about AI, or just establish an open dialogue on the issue. This low-commitment program offers Departments with the ability to assess community feelings, and whether a more formal event or sustaining program should take place.
Potentially one of the most valuable forums that departments can provide to residents. Use this opportunity to address common questions about what and how AI technology is being used within the department, how it handles fabricated evidence and AI attacks, and how the department is planning for the changing AI threat landscape. The transparency and openness will serve as a crucial foundation of trust with your community.
The AI Community Safety Network is serviced by the AI Safety Awareness Project (AISAP).