This article was originally published by The Daily Aztec, San Diego State University’s student newspaper.Over 1,300 AI-enabled cameras are affixed to hallways, entryways, common areas and dorm buildings throughout San Diego State University. Cameras focus on students and faculty alike in classroom buildings, in bookstores, dining areas, parking structures and gyms.
In 2024, The Daily Aztec first reported that campus University Police spent over $1.3 million to upgrade the university’s extensive network of surveillance cameras with new ones that, if activated, could deploy artificial intelligence.
While university police said the list of locations obtained by SDSU investigative journalism students is not the most updated document, further analysis conducted by these students shows just how extensive the web of surveillance cameras was as the university started to enable them with artificial intelligence.
The analysis also led to questions about whether the university adequately disclosed the power of the new AI-enabled cameras to students and others who frequent the campus.
From Huaxy to Greek Row
The cameras stretch from Montezuma Road to the campus’s northernmost points, from College Avenue all the way to Montezuma Mesa.
According to systemwide policy, “video security camera placement shall be in public areas and viewing angles.” Public areas are defined as “an area open to public use, where no reasonable expectation of privacy exists.”
Hover over the camera icons to see how many cameras are in each building.The policy also states that video security cameras may not be installed to view “areas where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy, nor will they be directed or zoomed into the windows of any private residential building, including residence halls.”
Yet, the locations shared by the CSU in 2024 include more than 330 cameras placed in residential halls alone.
According to university documents acquired via a public records request, Huaxyacac — the largest first-year residence hall — had 79 cameras installed as a part of the surveillance system update. Coming in second and third are Tenochca and Chapultepec, which have camera counts of 36 and 33, respectively.
Of SDSU’s 24 total residential buildings, 18 were included on the university’s list of camera locations.
In total, 28% of all cameras on campus are located in student dorms.
Despite cameras being present in the majority of SDSU’s residential buildings, their license agreements don’t mention the cameras at all.
La Monica Everett-Haynes, associate vice president and chief communications officer at SDSU, said that — despite not being mentioned in the license agreement — surveillance cameras are made known to students in the Guide to Community Living handbook and the SDSU Housing website.
However, neither of the resources presented by Everett-Haynes mention the AI technology of the security cameras and their capabilities.
Avigilon, the camera manufacturer, lists the 11 key features of its AI-powered cameras on its website: object, license plate and facial recognition, object detection, intrusion detection, behavior analysis, crowd density analysis, environmental monitoring, audio detection, integration with other systems and visual alerts.
The Guide to Community Living handbook states that security cameras are present in “community elevators and other common areas (e.g., lobbies, lounges, laundry rooms, hallways, dining facilities, etc.)”
On SDSU’s main campus, the Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union and Aztec Recreation Center are equipped with more than 100 cameras each, according to the documents acquired via public records. High-traffic spaces such as the Love Library, Gateway Center and Viejas Arena are documented as having more than 30 cameras installed in each area.Sophia Pomponio, a second-year business major living in Zacatepec, was outraged about the newly-installed cameras.
“I think that this monitoring is a heinous violation of students’ privacy,” Pomponio said. “Technology such as this spits in the face of students’ rights to privacy and freedom, and shows exactly how SDSU values their students—as currency.”
AI-enabled, but idle
While the contract states that the cameras would feature AI detection and analysis tools, a university spokesperson said that the cameras are not used to track or profile any student or faculty member.
“The upgrades support basic motion detection in restricted areas to help alert staff when activity is present outside of business or class hours,” stated Amanda Stills, the campus police’s public information officer, in an email to The Daily Aztec. “To be clear, they are not used for behavioral tracking, profiling or facial recognition.”
Stills said that the university only utilizes AI features to enhance system reliability, maintenance and operational efficiency. The university has chosen to limit features to be mindful of privacy considerations, campus policies and community expectations.
This contrasts with the Avigilon contract language, which clearly states the intent went far beyond maintenance and efficiency.
When asked if SDSU or university police have, or plan to have, signage indicating where cameras are present, Stills said doing so would jeopardize public safety.
“The university does not currently use signage specific to camera locations and does not have plans to add such signage,” Stills wrote. “More broadly, cameras are widely present in public spaces and common work areas both on and off campus.”
Stills said that the university police department does not plan to invest in additional AI technology.
SDSU ahead of other CSUs
In terms of AI-powered surveillance within the CSU system, SDSU is ahead of the curve.
While all CSU campuses have some sort of CCTV system, no other CSU campuses use AI-powered cameras except for California State University, Northridge.
Although the CSU system hasn’t fully integrated AI-powered cameras into all of its campuses, other universities across the country have deployed similar security systems.
For example, Michigan State University hired Moss Audio Corp. of Grand Rapids to install a video security system that would “detect barrier breaches, track individuals as they move across campus, count crowd size and read vehicle license plates.”
Similar tools such as ZeroEyes, Flock Safety and Volt AI, which are designed to spot potential threats and alert authorities, are becoming more common on campuses across the United States.
Although SDSU might not be the first to integrate this technology, the cameras reflect a nationwide trend toward AI-powered surveillance.This story was written by The Daily Aztec reporters for JMS 529, SDSU’s investigative journalism class. Taylor Rau, Makayla Sims, Seth Carlson, Vivian Cody and Sydni Lewis contributed reporting to the project.
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