(WXYZ) - Tempted by promises of efficiency, a small but growing number of Michigan police departments have turned to artificial intelligence to help officers write police reports.

The new technology, pitched as a time-saving tool for strapped departments, is being embraced by a handful of chiefs or sheriffs who say it allows officers more time to respond to possible crimes.

But other chiefs are viewing the tool with skepticism, with some objecting to it outright.

 I want (officers) to own the report and be able to articulate from their own recollection of what happened and not depend on AI,  said Southfield Police Chief Elvin Barren.

As prosecutors navigate potential challenges posed by the technology, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy is urging departments  to be cautious and restrained  in their use of it.

Dearborn Heights became one of the earliest adopters of the technology earlier this year. Use of the program is not mandatory, according to Captain Jake Hatten.

 It's still the officer's report,  he said.  It's not AI's report, it's the officer's report. 

Police reports have long been a critical tool in law enforcement, with the summaries often shaping the outcome of a criminal case. But officers have long been frustrated by having to spend sometimes hours each shift writing them, rather than being on the street.

 If I can cut down on the time that an officer writes a report or spends writing a report-I can get them back into the community-to me, that's a bonus,  Hatten said.

While multiple companies offer different versions of the technology, the most popular is Draft One created by Axon-the same company that makes police body cameras.

The technology works by transcribing conversations recorded on body cams to produce an AI-generated summary. Officers are expected to take over from there.

 They have the ability to edit it, take stuff out, add information to it,  Hatten said, noting there are  built-in safeguards. 

Draft One inserts deliberate errors that officers are instructed to search out and remove.

7 News Detroit watched a demonstration with Warren Police, whose of

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