US prisons rolled out out an AI-based system that scans inmates' phone calls, prompting concerns about privacy, surveillance and discrimination.

Intended to keep prisons and jails safe, Leo Technologies' Verus system uses Amazon speech-to-text technology based on keywords to identify and transcribe prisoners' phone calls. 

However, groups such as Access Now, the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Worth Rises expressed concerns that it would abuse the privacy rights of family members and others with whom prisoners are talking.

 Another issue is discrimination. Research shows voice-to-text tools are significantly more inaccurate for Black voices and a higher percentage of Black people are detained or jailed in the US.

Surveillance was also considered a concern, with Reuters quoting documents that revealed instances of prisons and detention centres using Verus for purposes beyond maintaining safety, for example identifying conversations that would help them win court cases, and monitoring COVID-19. 

The Intercept had earlier reported that prison officials in several US states had been using Verus to scan inmate calls for COVID-19 mentions and to flag complaints about the quality of prison response to the pandemic.