A federal jury in Texas has awarded Alek Schott $76 after he was pulled over for a so-called ‘lane drifting’ in Bexar County, which he claims was actually based on a tip from an AI-powered license plate reader. Schott, a father of two, was driving home from a work trip in March 2022 when he was stopped. Deputy Joel Babb admitted that the initial reason for the stop was a lie, revealing that he had received a tip via a WhatsApp group from someone named ‘Kiki,’ who had access to real-time license plate data.

According to Babb, Kiki had flagged Schott’s truck for a suspicious ‘one-day turnaround’ after he had driven from Houston, spent one night in Carrizo Springs, and returned home. This was enough to make Schott a suspect in the eyes of law enforcement, despite his innocent explanation. Babb was looking for ‘human smuggling, drug smuggling, and all those things like that,’ but the stop was ruled unconstitutional.

Schott filed a complaint, and in a shocking turn of events, a jury awarded him $76, $1 for each minute he was detained. He requested this exact amount as ‘symbolic compensation.’ The case highlights the potential for AI in law enforcement to be misused, and the importance of checks and balances to prevent abuse.

The ruling serves as a cautionary tale for law enforcement agencies that rely heavily on technology, reminding them that even with advanced systems, human judgement and fairness must still prevail.