Dallas garbage trucks are using AI cameras to flag code violations and give homes a "blight score"

Dallas is deploying AI-powered cameras on garbage trucks to identify code violations and assign blight scores to properties. The cameras, mounted in pairs on 50 trucks, photograph homes and assign a score ranging from 1 to 4 based on violations such as grass height, litter, overgrown weeds, and structural issues. Over 21,000 properties have been flagged by the cameras, with homeowners receiving courtesy notices that could lead to fines if violations are not addressed.

Privacy concerns arise as homeowners are unaware their homes are being photographed without consent, and there are questions about what constitutes blight. The system consists of 100 cameras on 50 trucks, capturing 1920 × 1080 images at street level without zoom. Dallas officials state the trucks scan the city roughly once every 30 days.

City Detect, the company operating the cameras, claims faces and license plates are blurred. City officials trained the AI on various factors to reduce inconsistent or biased detections. There are worries that the program could disproportionately burden financially struggling communities. The city has issued 1,800 courtesy notices, aiming to issue around 5,200 annually, with the hope of ending the cameras' funding within three years.