Imagine the police coming to your door and arresting you for a crime committed in a city you have never even been to. That’s what happened to Robert Dillon, a 52-year-old man from Fort Myers, Florida. According to a federal lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Florida, Dillon’s life was irrevocably altered in August 2024, when police arrested him for a crime he did not commit. He was accused of attempting to entice a child at a McDonald’s more than 300 miles from his home, a location he says he never went to.
This isn't some crazy one-off story. It’s a look at how AI facial recognition tools used quietly by police departments all over the US can completely upend an innocent person’s life.
