SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California has become the first state in the U.S. to require law enforcement officers to publicly disclose when they use generative artificial intelligence to draft police reports, following Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signing of Senate Bill 524 on Oct. 10, KQED reported.
The legislation mandates that police reports produced using AI tools like Axon’s Draft One must include a written disclosure on every page. It also requires departments to preserve audit trails, including original AI-generated drafts and the source for body camera footage or audio that informed them.
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The law, which takes effect Jan. 1, 2026, aims to address growing concerns about AI shaping legal narratives, according to the report.
The Fresno Police Department, an early adopter of the AI tech, says it has already implemented many of the now-mandated practices. Department spokesperson Larry Bowlan said the agency’s current system already generates disclosures and audit trails. A minor change will be made to ensure disclosures appear on every page.
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Opponents of the bill, including the California Police Chiefs Association and the Police Officers Research Association of California (PORAC), expressed concerns about the administrative burden. PORAC President Brian R. Marvel told KQED the final version was improved after amendments narrowed its scope.
Axon, the maker of Draft One, said it is committed to compliance with state and federal law.
“Responsible innovation remains at the core of how Axon designs and delivers new technology,” spokesperson Victoria Keough told KQED.
