Cameras from a company called Avigilon are installed across San Diego State University's campus, and their presence has raised questions from students about how the technology is being used. However, the cameras have been in the process of being installed since 2023.
The cameras have drawn attention in part because Avigilon produces a range of AI-enabled cameras with features such as facial recognition and crowd monitoring.
A piece from the student newspaper broke the story about the cameras across campus; the headline said in part, "Is SDSU watching?"
The university says the cameras are not new. They have been in the process of being installed since 2023 as part of the normal campus update. SDSU police say the AI technology is only used to show when a camera is not working or has been blocked.
Students had mixed reactions when I spoke to them about the cameras.
"I get it from the security perspective, especially because we are a public campus," Zoe O'Hanlon said.
"The only thing I do worry about is if they're using it with morals involved, I don't want them profiling people or students because I myself am brown; that is always a worry for me," Gabriela Alaniz said.
One student, who asked to remain anonymous, raised a pointed question about the purchasing decision.
"I guess — why were these cameras put on campus with the AI instead of the ones without AI?" the student asked.
The university addressed that question directly, saying almost all modern cameras have AI in them. They chose these cameras because the AI could tell officers when the cameras are turned off.
The full statements can be read below:
"It would be highly irresponsible, from a safety, security and best practice standpoint, not to have security cameras in place throughout our campus community. For many years the university has had security cameras in place throughout campus. The project represented a regular campus infrastructure upgrade funded through existing scheduled maintenance reserves and was not “new surveillance spending” initiated by UPD. This project is also not new and began in 2023 as part of a planned replacement of existing campus security infrastructure.
Any increase in the number of cameras from the level the campus has maintained for over a decade is attributable only to new buildings and campus infrastructure changes that require security coverage as part of normal campus growth and operations.
This is a gross mischaracterization of a regular update to existing security cameras, which is critical in maintaining a safe campus environment and aiding in potential criminal investigations. The software components of the cameras only mean they now have the capability to alert when a camera is no longer providing security video, whether it is blocked intentionally or a result of a malfunction. Any inference that the “AI software” available through the cameras would be used beyond that, or to track individuals, is wholly inaccurate. We have demanded urgent corrections to previous coverage."
"Most modern large scale security camera systems, like ones necessary from a public safety standpoint for a large university environment, now include software with some form of AI powered analytics capability. As previously shared, as an example, the software components of the cameras mean they now have the capability to alert when a camera is no longer providing security video, whether it is blocked intentionally or a result of a malfunction. Any inference that the “AI software” available through the cameras would be used beyond that, or to track individuals, is wholly inaccurate. We have demanded urgent corrections to previous coverage suggesting the upgraded camera system is being used in that way."
- Amanda Stills, San Diego State University Police Department
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
