The Goodyear Police Department has incorporated artificial intelligence to bring a novel twist to the way they create suspect sketches, a move that could revolutionize how leads are generated in criminal investigations. In a recent development, Officer Michael Bonasera of Goodyear Police has been experimenting with AI to produce more lifelike images from forensic sketches. According to an interview obtained by FOX 10 Phoenix, Bonasera's interaction with the cutting-edge software began as a curiosity but quickly illustrated its potential when he witnessed it almost perfectly replicate his hand-drawn sketch.
"We were just playing around with the new update, and I’m like, ‘Hmmm… what would happen if I put one of my drawings in there? Let’s just see," Bonasera expressed, to then find the result "Everytime – jaw-dropping." The Goodyear Police hope to utilize this technology to not only solve recent crimes but also to breathe new life into cold cases. In a statement to 12 News, Bonasera told the outlet that the AI can rapidly age or alter the appearance of a sketch, an action that would have previously consumed hours of meticulous work by hand.
The process begins conventionally enough with a victim or witness describing the suspect, while Bonasera crafts the initial sketch. It's then entered into the AI software, which uses the drawing as the framework to create a photorealistic image. The refinement happens interactively, with the system able to instantly implement suggestions like making someone look older or altering eye color. "It’s now make him older, make him younger, make his eyes less blue, make his chin a little wider, and you just tell it, and it does it, until you turn it around, and they say–that’s the guy," said Bonasera in his interview with FOX 10 Phoenix.
While some may fear this innovation could render traditional forensic artistry obsolete, Bonasera disagrees, affirming the lasting necessity of the artist's eye for detail. "There’s a joke about putting forensic artists out of a job, and I am not – because I would be putting myself out of a job," Bonasera clarified to FOX 10 Phoenix. To illustrate the AI's capability, Goodyear Police recently released their first AI-generated image to the public in connection with an attempted kidnapping case. "It’s not probable cause to arrest somebody based off my drawing," Bonasera noted in his conversation with 12 News, underscoring the technology's role in guiding investigators to potential leads.
