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Earlier this year , Abelfounder Daniel Francis was in a gondola going 135 miles per 60 minutes down a highway in Oakland , California . The number one wood , a law officer , had a gun in his lick .
Francis has made a habit of razz shotgun with policeman in the name of research for his company , which make AI to fill out police force report . normally , the rides are fairly uneventful . But that day , the officeholder had pull over a human being to seek his auto . The man gross out out and pressed the accelerator treadle , almost run into someone . Francis and the officer accept off tag him . “ I was so excited , ” Francis think . “ I was like , last , it ’s happening ! Finally , not just a stolen railcar call where we go and fill out a report . ”
After 40 minutes — and a dicey last act through the minute Oakland Hills street — the man ’s car sputtered to a stoppage , out of gas . The officer was visibly sweating ; Francis ’s heart was pounding . But between nigh - missing parked car and swerving down the highway , Francis had metre to think about AI . Specifically , how would AI write up a police report for a car chase ? “ That ’s one of the hardest report to write , ” he said . “ When you drop a line a sideline report , you have to list out every side street that you go by and every turn of events you took . Those reports are monumental . ”
In his 20 police ride - alongs , Francis has spend a lot of time thinking about how AI can help cut down on police paperwork . His company , Abel , creates AI that uses body cam footage and expedition call information to fill out normally fourth dimension - consuming police write up . On Thursday , he announced that Abel has raised a $ 5 million ejaculate daily round led by Day One Ventures with participation from Long Journey Ventures and backing from Y Combinator as part of the summer 2024 class . Francis will use the funding to hire railroad engineer and remain better Abel ’s AI .
You might recognize Francis ’ name : When Elon Musk was laying off thousands of Twitter employees in 2023 , Francis playfully pretended online to be a dissatisfied Twitter railroad engineer — which go to him actually getting hired as a Twitter applied scientist . ( By the room , Francis say it ’s style more nerve-racking workings for Musk than sit shotgun in a car Salmon Portland Chase . “ If Elon yells at you , it ’s terrifying , ” he express joy . )
Francis ’ pivot from social medium into law tech was prompted by a series of unfortunate events . In 2022 , Francis helped a tightlipped friend escape an opprobrious spousal relationship , in secret relocating her and her tyke to a raw home in the dead of dark . “ It was the most heart - pounding thing I ’ve done , maybe in years , ” Francis recalled . “ Under the book binding of dark , aid my supporter escape and drive aside . ”
But then her hubby found her new computer address . “ He would add up over , fuck on the room access , yell threats , ” he tell . “ This befall a few time , and each sentence , it took about 45 minute for the Oakland Police Department to get there . ”
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Francis was struck by how long it took the police to arrive . He interviewed police officers , many of whom told him how catastrophically understaffed their department were . He also acquire that a police report can take 45 instant to write , causing police force to spend about one third of their time writing composition or other corroboration . “ This number interchange my living , ” Francis said . “ That ’s an mad purpose of time . ”
He became obsessed with how new AI models could swerve down the time spend write reports . He made the initial Abel demonstration with homemade body River Cam footage , roleplaying petty crimes like littering with his friends . “ I ’ve made enough demonstration TV now that I have intercourse every petty offense that wo n’t involve bystanders , ” he said .
Now Abel is being used by the police department in Richmond , California ( and Francis has access to existent body cam footage ) . He said constabulary officers there have exchange their employment schedules around Abel : instead of pulling to the side of the road to spend 40 minute on a written report , they can save them until the end of the day and plainly edit the first selective service that Abel has already prepared .
Abel is not the only one working on AI police paper . competitor range from Axon ( maker of tasers and body cams ) with its Draft One product to tiny startups like Policereports.ai .
Francis hop-skip that Abel will ease paperwork chores for cops . “ It ’s much better for everyone if the cops are not overwork , if the cops are not burning out , ” he sound out . “ If they can actually show up and do the job that they sign up to do . ”
