On Tuesday, July 16, the Greensboro City Council accepted a $50,000 grant from the NC Department of Environmental Quality for what may seem like an innocuous program to many, but one that might be very alarming to privacy advocates.
The city is installing artificial intelligence software and hardware on some of the city’s recycling trucks – which will use video monitoring, photography and very precise geo-location tags to find those people who are violating the city’s recycling rules.
According to materials submitted to obtain the grant, “Each truck will be equipped with a high-powered GPS tool, an AI-powered camera, and an onboard computer.”
The AI software will identify the trash as it’s dumped into the truck to determine if the contents of the recyclable bin include non-recyclable materials. The location tags for each bin dumped into each truck will let the city know exactly which households or businesses are in violation of the city’s disposal rules.
In this first phase of the program, the city is putting the cameras and software on three city trucks collecting recycling; however, if considered successful, the Greensboro City Council could expand the program in the future.
AI software has become so powerful and fast that the identification accuracy of this particular waste technology is said to be over 99 percent.
According to information about the program, while recycling violations may be hard to detect by human inspectors “at first glance,” the AI software “will inspect a cart’s entire contents.”
So don’t try and fool the city by burying non-recyclables deep down in your container.
While many see this as a great thing because it will help identify and alert city waste officials as to where the problems are originating from, those who worry about the continuing intrusion of artificial intelligence into personal privacy may be dismayed to learn that their recyclable bins are now the focus of AI video cameras that could conceivably sort out what a person is buying, consuming, drinking or reading.
There is absolutely no reason to believe that this is in any way a program that’s meant to “spy” on residents (other than to find the recycling rules offenders) – but there is every reason in the world to believe that these types of technology initiatives expand over the years and end up being used for purposes that were never intended.
Amazon Alexa devices weren’t meant to preserve statements to be used as evidence in murder cases, but that doesn’t prevent that from happening.
One current privacy concern is the following statement:” “Postcards will display an image of non-recyclable items in a resident’s cart alongside the campaign message(s).”
The Rhino Times is currently looking into the specifics of this practice, but one question that arises might be, “Will of a relapsed alcoholic hiding that fact from his wife end up having to explain to her why there’s a postcard in the mail with a picture of an empty glass bourbon bottle in their trash?”
There’s a lot to be learned here, but it sounds, at least from the description in the literature, as though a fully visible photograph of some of a person’s trash may be traveling from the city, through the postal services, to a house, in full view of everyone in the process – including anyone in the household who sees the mail. Since people often dispose of highly sensitive materials in their recyclable bins, one hopes the city is considering what protections must be put in place to mitigate these types of privacy concerns.
Those who worry about government overreach might also be concerned about the fact that many good AI systems can, already, with lightning speed, take in, recognize, categorize and record, any text that passes in front of its cameras. While that is nothing to worry about right now, it is something to consider for the future.
While certainly not the intent of the current program – and there’s no reason to think the city wishes to spy on its citizens – it’s not hard to imagine a situation in which video or photographs from the new program might be used to solve crimes by identifying when and where a piece of evidence was disposed of.
Plans for the year, however, only call for the city to use the equipment and software from Prairie Robotics Platinum Software – at a cost of $10,800 per truck per year – to send notices to people who are breaking recycling rules and also to identify parts of the city where non-compliance is most rampant so that recyclable education campaigns can be targeted to specific communities.
According to information included in city documents, “The proposed program is divided into 13-week quarterly campaigns. Each campaign will use insights from contamination flagged by the AI software. Residents will have their recycling inspected by AI about six times per quarter (due to bi-weekly recycling collections) and receive personalized feedback regarding the contents of their recycling carts. The first 10 weeks of each campaign will focus on monitoring the system for quality control. In the final three weeks, staff will regroup, design, or edit postcards as needed, and plan for the next campaign.”
The city also notes that “Contamination reduction outreach programs play a crucial role in informing residents about the consequences of contamination and promoting behavioral change.”
The City of Greensboro is providing a match of $10,000 to cover the full cost of the hardware, software, and to send out postcards to households that are offenders.
The program, which is ramping up now for the first “education campaign” for offenders, will run from now until mid-September.
That will be followed by other campaigns with a report on the results of the program provided at the end of June, 2024
Just chuck all your trash in the trash can, and refuse to play their games.
If they’re so particular and paranoid about what we throw away, they’re welcome to sort through it all.
Knock yourself out, Big Brother.
Most recyclables go to the dump, anyway
Recycling is such a scam anyway, the promise of recycling is nearly all a lie manufactured by the plastic industry – only about 5% to 6% of plastics are being recycled each year.
Are paper, glass, aluminum and metal rather effective though?
A friend of the family made a small fortune building a recycling business in Durham that specialized in accepting Municiple recycling and sorting the materials to sell. Metal was the most profitable I(much of it purchased from scrappers and cars) but carboard was in most demand he used to say.
My township no longer accepts plastic soda bottles but does collect hard plastics and plastic like milk jugs that are far more easy to recycle.
This idea is almost as stupid as the trash can washing truck that a former city service director paid a
$ million dollars for several years ago. More waste of tax dollars
Money would be better spent hiring more police and fir personnel.
Amen !
BIG BROTHER at its optimum
it is beginning, in baby steps. soon enough, we will be boiled.
Our overseers relentlessly move forward in “helping” the community. Regardless of traditional privacy concerns or any notion of liberty. They have never read 1984 or Animal Farm, but even if they did, they would not understand it.
Why such concern over a can or bottle put in incorrect container. There is so many more problems which are far more important than this. Will all citizens get same post card telling them they committed a recycle crime? Or will there be a slap on hand for some?
This is likely another suggestion from the office of environment and sustainability. You know, the ones who advocated ending loose leaf collection and advised us all to “leave the leaves?” They believe homeowners have no business with a grass lawn. Of course they will scan our recyclables as they are dumped.
Enough of this spying on people. I suggest that everyone stop recycling and throw it into the garbage. Maybe this corrupt government will get the message. I will stop recycling my thing today .Good luck Greensboro Government.
AI and Government. These 2 should NEVER be accepted by any American Citizen.
I guess that means I will not be putting non-recycleable stuff in my neighbors recycle can anymore since I am sure the A.I software will know if I do that. Im also sure the A.I. software will know if a neighbor puts their non-recycleables in my can as well.
Some may give up on recycling altogether and just put everything in the regular trash. Easy peasy way to avoid putting the wrong thing in considering they have changed along the way what is acceptable and what isn’t.
Amen ! And why doesn’t the city send out regular updates about their current recycling rules? Who even knows exactly what is considered “recyclable ” this month?
Good story Scott. Happy the city is into advanced dumpster diving. Looking forward to see the mega list of rules city council dreams up.
On today’s episode of “How Can Greensboro Become More Disturbing,” I give you this AI crap looking through the recycling bin. What a waste of money!
AI equals Big Brother and this is just one more piece of proof. What’s next…AI fecal testing equipment in our toilets to insure we are eating healthy? Big brother isn’t coming… it’s already here.
Surely the city council of Greensboro can find a better use for $ 50,000 than recording the contents of our garbage cans to find out whether a pickle jar, cat food can, or cereal box was put in the wrong can.
I’ll put recycles in green can like I have done since day one. Problem solved
This is completely unacceptable. We are racing toward becoming a global totalitarian police state, and every bit of surveillance that we accept puts us closer to that end. Every traffic camera, every neighborhood “Flock” camera, every Ring doorbell, contributes to a surveillance grid coupled to artificial intelligence, and the information it gathers can be accessed and abused by both corporations and governments. Now is the time to stop it.
I’d be interested in seeing which neighborhoods these three AI equipped trucks will be hitting first.
Intrusive largesse from the Mandate Mayor….. techno fascist garbage monitoring and mandatory reeducation.
Bingo. Will households with registered Republican voters face broader scrutiny? The possibilities are endless
they already thot of that…
Yours of course and any of us that speak out
“The location tags for each bin dumped into each truck will let the city know exactly which households or businesses are in violation of the city’s disposal rules.”
IT DOES NOTHING OF THE SORT! It will inform the city of recycling bins with content not in compliance with the recycling rules. It in no way informs the city about who placed it there.
Critical thinking left the Rhino Times with Mr. Hammer, I fear.
I say start with the Mayors neighborhood first.
I wonder can this AI look into someone’s bedroom?
The use of AI to spy on residents of Greensboro demonstrates City Council members’ desire to control. Regardless of the “intent of the program is not to spy,” the result is the city is spying. Remember, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
They stopped picking up glass, then stopped picking up leaves but they have time and money for this crap?
This is nothing earthshattering — it has been well known that anything disposed of at the curb is forfeited, and therefore anyone can rummage through your trash legally. As for the fear mongering over AI, we have much more credible threats to our rights and privileges to worry about…
Had a cousin go through police academy 20 or so years ago and I learned all sorts of interesting things. One was that it’s illegal for the police to search your trash cans without a warrant or even impact the course of it’s collection. This should be one decent lawyer from being over.
A case went to the Supreme Court. Trash is considered public once it is put to the curb.
This is so ridiculous. We were encouraged to recycle paper and glass because it was the “right thing to do” and of course, the city also made a profit from it. But when the profits ended and they started having to pay to recycle suddenly recycling glass was no longer “the right thing to do” and they stopped taking it. If you believe what you read, the lion’s share of all recycled materials is never actually recycled. So, it appears this is the largest “virtue signaling – bait and switch” hoax ever. They convince everyone that “recycling” is a must-do, but in the end, we are just paying a hefty premium for our recyclables to end up in a landfill somewhere else or worse yet on the beach in Malaysia.
This is unbelievable. What I mean is, I can’t believe this. April first is months away.
Every citizen should start writing appropriate comments on recyclable garbage items to advise the powers that be just how ingenious this project is. Did the postcard lobby have any input? Whoever came up with this idea should be revealed to the public if they are being payed with taxpayer dollars.
Remember, wash your recyclables before trashing them. Why the heck are we paying for garbage pickup if the city does not want to pick up garbage? Does our government get all of its advice from headlines in The Onion? Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How does this save the taxpayer any money? You never see a thing they do that will save money, just spend and think they are helping us.
since so many people have no interest in recycling, let the city continue responsibility for green cans & turn over collection & processing to private enterprise who will decide fee structure based on the quality/value of the disposers can ? then, add AI to that truck ?
Residents of apartment buildings and such deposit all of their trash into one big Dumpster; we are under no obligation at all to recycle. But I can now see how people will utilize a nearby Dumpster which will add costs to landlords who will inevitably pass it along to their tenants. Doesn’t the council ever consider ramifications?
AI will not be able to enforce anything. Any decent lawyer would have it tossed before trial. Walk in with an AI photo of any of the Council members in compromised situations and say that it has to carry the same weight of proof as the Garbage AI. That is a good name for it Garbage AI.
Brilliant!
Oh look a shiny object!!
Spend the 50K on temp labor for sorting.
That creates jobs. This AI steals jobs.
If Greensboro wants to reduce recycling, this is the way to do it. Why would you want the government to have any more information on you? Heaven forbid, you make a mistake the city will harass you. Not worth it. Everything, garbage and recyclables is going in the big green can.
In all likelihood if Greensboro operates like the majority of recycling facilities if a load has any non-recyclables thec whole load is considered contaminated and is sent to the landfill.
Big Brother at it again
Several comments point to human reaction which defeats the purpose of the tracking. If the recyclables end up in normal trash that puts extra burden on system. Trash will have to be scanned as well as recyclables. This is a terrible idea in execution, fine for a thought experiment; except for the multiple points made about intrusion of privacy. Put the $50,000 into city wide education program. Gamify the process and encourage people to “Willingly” participate not force them punitively. Recycling rates in Guilford are middling already, with only 162 pounds per person vs state top recyclers Iredell and Catabwa each person recycling 488 pounds per year vs Vance county’s 28 pounds per person per year. Why make things worse!? Reference: https://www.deq.nc.gov/news/press-releases/2018/06/08/county-and-municipality-recycling-numbers-show-5-percent-increase
“According to the EPA, the national recycling and composting rate for municipal solid waste (MSW) is around 32.1%. However, some say the actual rate is lower, with the Recycling Partnership reporting that only 21% of recyclable material is captured in 2024.”
(First Google search, others put the % lower) So they’re going to punish homeowner for their sins.
The ‘City’ constantly violates their own policy. Tbey glean stuff at the facility. I know, I worked in their farce. Hey, y I u have magic bike lanes! What else could you want? Gonna make sure you have no Liberty, soon..
Recycling is a scam anyways. Government subsidized placebo effect that prevents any real legislation about reducing plastic production.
People feel good about themselves when they recycle in spite of the fact that it is more polluting to break down the materials to recycle than to landfill and make new.
Lots of panic here. Maybe the easy thing to do is to use your recycling bin appropriately or not at all.
But you are afraid of AI looking at your trash, you really should stop using your modern cell phone. The data collected from the apps you blindly click accept on when installing know just about everything about you (many actually capture keystrokes). A lot of people in the privacy industry have gone back to flip phones as the cookies, trackers and such often don’t work on the older software used on flip phones.
I am a strong proponent of recycling. I recycle everything that I can. I do not know if recycling is more polluting than landfills. However, I do know that landfills are not only polluting but take up an enormous amount of land and negatively impact the people living around the landfills. But spying on residents to enforce recycling is wrong and should not be done by any government.
Any chance someone could come up with an AI program that can scan city government and Greensboro City Council in particular for any signs of intelligence?
The real question is this a minority owned company that built this AI System.
Rather than spending money on spying to see who is not complying, how about educating the public better on what are “acceptable” items? The refrigerator schedule shows #1 Paper and cardboard, #2 Metal Food & Drink Cans and #3 Plastic bottles, tubs & jugs. As to #3 items, a handy detailed listing as found on the City’s website would help. How about including acceptable recycling symbols? Sure is a lot cheaper and will create better goodwill with residents.
We’ve been recycling just paper and metal cans. The scam of recycling plastics should stop; the myriad of plastic types makes it nearly impossible to keep “the stream” of acceptable plastics from being contaminated without sufficient manpower to physically separate them. Obviously the city is not willing to cover that expense so the only solution is to send our plastics to the landfill as trash eliminating the “middleman”.
City of Greensboro AI software to identify trash as it is dumped into truck. Is that all the city has to do? Before long they will be checking your sewer line to see if you were constipated or had the upset stomach. Is this all the city has to do?
sewage is getting ‘drug-tested’ in many municipalities, schools, organizations, to locate ‘hot’ spots. then further testing locates individuals in the hot spots, for better or worse, for ‘who’ ?
AI is now being used to sort recyclable items. Good use of AI, if it stops at sorting.
First it was traffic cams.
What’s next, toilet cams?