Axon has been inviting police departments to webinars about the new AI-based product, which will automatically generate police reports based on bodycam audio, according to emails obtained by 404 Media.

Axon has been inviting police departments to webinars about the new AI-based product, which will automatically generate police reports based on bodycam audio, according to emails obtained by 404 Media.

  • Snot FlickermanEnglish
    13•2 months ago

    404media has done some of the best in-depth tech journalism there is lately, but I guess paying them for that is a bridge too far for most (or even making a free account…).

    It’s literally a worker owned cooperative and your first response is to block them at the DNS level? Great research there, boyo.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/404_Media

    The publication covers topics such as hacking, sex work, niche online communities, and the right to repair movement. The publication is worker-owned.

    404 Media was founded in 2023 by former staff of Vice Media’s Motherboard after it filed for bankruptcy.

    During the Taylor Swift deepfake pornography controversy, a 404 Media investigation discovered that the images originated from 4chan and were being distributed on Telegram before making it onto social media platforms.

    In an article about 2024 media industry layoffs, the Financial Times highlighted 404 Media as a successful new media venture amid an “existential crisis” in the industry. The article stated that the publication has been noted for “publishing an eye-catching range of stories about the tech sector”, and noted that “Not only is it producing good stories but its founders say it is breaking even”.

    Sorry they’re trying to actually get paid for real journalism. I guess you’d prefer clickbait from corporate owned bullshit company that pays their writers squat and uses AI to write articles?

    Finally, this is arguably a really important subject to be having journalists look at, but I guess clickbait is more appealing.

    • southsamuraiEnglish
      1•2 months ago

      It is possible to respect their efforts, but refuse to sign up for things on principle.

      And, if the account is “free”, then why did you need to give them an email in the first place? If they aren’t getting money from you, then needing a login that would require an email address is sketchy as hell on the surface, and there’s no explanation given.

      Yeah, blocking the site in its entirety is kinda weird, seems like extra effort for no benefit at all when you can just not use the site. But objecting to what is a pointless “account” unless they’re monetizing the information makes plenty of sense. Worker owned is not a guarantee of good behavior. It certainly helps, and it’s the superior business model imo, but it isn’t inherently going to mean they aren’t doing dumb shit.

        • Snot FlickermanEnglish
          4•2 months ago

          But that would require research, reading, and most importantly, actually giving a shit.

          Far easier to just swallow AI generated swill, apparently.

        • @[email protected]English
          2•2 months ago

          The short answer is that we are primarily trying to sell you our journalism by putting articles that we think you will care about in your inbox, in the hopes that you will one day read something that convinces you that our work is worth paying for.

          Yeah, no need for a long term marketing relationship. It’s valid for people to reject being marketed to.