CRIME, POLICE + COURTS

Utah company uses artificial intelligence to solve crimes in seconds

Jan 28, 2020, 5:41 PM | Updated: Jun 16, 2022, 4:14 pm

artificial intelligence banjo...

Park City-based artificial intelligence company Banjo is teaming with Utah government and law enforcement to solve crimes and, in some cases, prevent them from happening. (Image credit: Getty Images)

(Image credit: Getty Images)

SALT LAKE CITY —  Artificial intelligence company, Banjo, based in Park City, has partnered with law enforcement agencies across the state. Their goal is to more quickly respond to emergencies and fight crime faster.

“Every second counts,” Banjo founder and CEO Damien Patton told KSL Newsradio’s Dave and Dujanovic when it comes to emergencies.

And in his eyes, artificial intelligence (AI) can help.

Law enforcement agencies in Utah are using Banjo’s AI in cases of missing children, for example, and finding them “sometimes in seconds,” he said.

How artificial intelligence works

Patton describes Banjo as  a business that is “unlocking silos of data.”

Its artificial intelligence uses a system called an “event-detection engine” that scans a stream of data from a variety of sources.

Those sources include 911 calls, social media posts, traffic cameras, CCTV cameras, and more.

The scan begins when Banjo AI detects an anomaly from the stream of data the technology scans.

The sound of gunfire in videos posted to social media in an anomaly. So is a signal given off when an airbag deploys are both examples of an anomaly.

Banjo’s system deletes the personally identifiable information it collects. Patton says that ensures user data is protected.

“Then it goes into our op center, and our team is able to disseminate fact from fiction,” he said.

A team of humans at Banjo ensures that the system is not reporting false positives.

Banjo alerts authorities once an anomaly is detected and verified.

Could artificial intelligence make driving safer?

Banjo already partners with law enforcement and other government agencies, like the Utah Highway Patrol and the Utah Department of Transportation.

And through partnerships with car manufacturers, Banjo can detect airbag deployments, Patton told Dave & Dujanovic,

“When an airbag goes off in a car, that doesn’t mean that 911 is notified immediately,” Patton said.

“But with the power of Banjo, and the partnerships we have with car manufacturers, if your airbag does go off we’re able to alert highway patrol minutes faster than the average 911 call would come in.”

“Not only does it help save your life, and get you to the hospital faster, it also clears the accident faster and ensures there’s not a secondary accident,” he said.

Patton says that Banjo will meet with the Utah Highway Patrol after a wrong-way driver on I-215 in Holladay caused a crash that killed two people.

He said Banjo detected the wrong-way driver incident as it happened. He also says that Banjo is now talking with authorities about how to prevent similar incidents before they happen.

Detecting crime in real-time

Before partnering with law enforcement, Banjo worked with news agencies.

Their philosophy changed after detecting, in real-time, the 2017 shooting in Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay resort.

Patton told Dave & Dujanovic in a previous interview that the Banjo system was able to zero in on the shooter’s location in the Mandalay Bay.

Banjo alerted news agencies across the country with that crucial information, but outlets took “almost an hour” to notify the public, he said.

“That was the tipping point for me, personally,” he said. “We can no longer wait around for others to save peoples’ lives.”

As a result, Banjo started working with public safety officials.

“They’re the ones that need the information,” Patton said.

He described a recent example of a missing child—one that had not been abducted, but law enforcement reacted as if the child had.

Banjo’s technology gave law enforcement information that helped locate the child “within the hour,” Patton told Dave & Dujanovic.

Privacy concerns of artificial intelligence

It doesn’t take long for the issue of privacy to arise when talking about artificial intelligence. How do companies like Banjo ensure that data won’t be misused?

Patton argued that leaders in the tech industry and in government should create so-called “bumper-rails” that are connected to the use of AI.

In the case of Banjo, a bumper-rail would be the act of stripping personally identifiable information out of the data they collect.

“Any social media content we receive is faceless and nameless,” Patton said.

 

Related:

Paging Dr. Robot: Artificial intelligence moves into care

How AI came to rule our lives over the last decade

AI-powered cameras become new tool against mass shootings

Wimbledon reworks AI tech to reduce bias in game highlights

 

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Send it to the KSL NewsRadio team here.

Today’s Top Stories

Crime, Police + Courts

A video recorded by Facebook user Larry Jacquez shows the police response following the shooting in...

Jamiel Lynch, CNN     

At least 3 people killed and 2 officers wounded in a shooting in Farmington, New Mexico, police say

Multiple people were shot and at least three killed in a shooting in Farmington, New Mexico, police said in a Facebook post.

11 months ago

slcpd on the scene of the deaths...

Josh Ellis

Police: Teen killed by father in murder-suicide in SLC office building

Police responded to the office complex near 3000 S. Highland Drive on Saturday after emergency responders received a call from a community member who reported finding a body.

11 months ago

a police car is pictured...

Mark Jones

SLCPD investigating suspious death, seeks public’s assistance

SALT LAKE CITY — Salt Lake City police say a body found Sunday morning in downtown is considered to be a suspicious death. Police were called to the area of 536 S. 200 West just after 11 a.m. Once on scene, officers confirmed the individual, who was found in a field, to be deceased. Information […]

11 months ago

The new Utah State Correctional Facility is pictured in Salt Lake City on Thursday, June 30, 2022. ...

Mark Jones

State Correctional Facility placed on temporary lockdown

The Utah State Correctional Facility was placed on temporary lockdown Saturday following a fight with several inmates.

11 months ago

The Salt Lake City Police Department is investigating the deaths of two people. Their bodies were f...

Mark Jones

SLCPD investigating after two bodies found inside an office complex

Salt Lake City police are investigating the discovery of two bodies found Saturday inside an office complex near 3000 S. Highland Drive.

11 months ago

Unified police...

Mark Jones

Woman dies in hiking accident in Big Cottonwood Canyon

Unified Police say a 34-year-old woman died Friday following a hiking accident in Big Cottonwood Canyon.

11 months ago

Sponsored Articles

close up of rose marvel saliva blooms in purple...

Shannon Cavalero

Drought Tolerant Perennials for Utah

The best drought tolerant plants for Utah can handle high elevations, alkaline soils, excessive exposure to wind, and use of secondary water.

Group of cheerful team members high fiving each other...

Visit Bear Lake

How To Plan a Business Retreat in Bear Lake This Spring

Are you wondering how to plan a business retreat this spring? Read our sample itinerary to plan a team getaway to Bear Lake.

Cheerful young woman writing an assignment while sitting at desk between two classmates during clas...

BYU EMBA at the Marriott School of Business

Hear it Firsthand: 6 Students Share Their Executive MBA Experience at BYU’s Marriott School of Business

The Executive MBA program at BYU offers great opportunities. Hear experiences straight from students enrolled in the program.

Skier being towed by a rider on a horse. Skijoring....

Bear Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau

Looking for a New Winter Activity? Try Skijoring in Bear Lake

Skijoring is when someone on skis is pulled by a horse, dog, animal, or motor vehicle. The driver leads the skiers through an obstacle course over jumps, hoops, and gates.

Banner with Cervical Cancer Awareness Realistic Ribbon...

Intermountain Health

Five Common Causes of Cervical Cancer – and What You Can Do to Lower Your Risk

January is National Cervical Cancer Awareness month and cancer experts at Intermountain Health are working to educate women about cervical cancer.

Kid holding a cisco fish at winterfest...

Bear Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau

Get Ready for Fun at the 2023 Bear Lake Monster Winterfest

The Bear Lake Monster Winterfest is an annual weekend event jam-packed full of fun activities the whole family can enjoy.

Utah company uses artificial intelligence to solve crimes in seconds