An internal email from Ring founder Jamie Siminoffreveals that Search Party for Dogs was just the first step. An internal email obtained by 404 Media shows that Ring has bigger plans for its AI-powered search capability than just finding lost dogs.
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The email, sent last October by Siminoff to all Ring employees, states that with Search Party, “You can now see a future where we can zero crime in neighborhoods.”
Ring, the home security company owned by Amazon, has faced intense criticism in recent weeks after a Super Bowl ad for its Search Party feature depicted Ring cameras monitoring a neighborhood for lost dogs. The ad, which describes how AI can be used to search footage from Ring’s network of cameras, raised concerns that it could be used as a broader surveillance tool.
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In response to previous questions from The Verge, Ring said Search Party is a purpose-built tool that is not currently capable of searching for people. The company also said that sharing any footage from Ring cameras is at the discretion of the camera owner, except in the case of legal requests.
The email, which Ring confirmed to The Verge was written by Siminoff, was sent after the launch of Search Party. Siminoff wrote, “This is by far the most innovative product we’ve ever released in Ring’s history. And it’s not just the quantity, it’s the quality. I believe the foundation we built with Search Party, first for finding dogs, will end up being one of the most important pieces of technology and innovation to truly unlock the impact of our mission.”
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Ring already has AI-powered search tools that a camera owner can use to search their footage for almost anything, including people, pets, and vehicles. A Search Party, on the other hand, can be started by anyone with access to the Ring Neighbors. Search Party was originally designed to find dogs and has recently expanded to include fires.
