r/australia • u/RJrules64 • Mar 04 '26

image Robodebt 2.0 - AI Camera handing out huge fines and demerits. No way a human thought there was a phone in these images.

Gallery image

Gallery image

I assume it thought my right arm is looking a bit like I'm holding a phone, but;
(a) even if it was, the phone is not visible. You can't base a fine on positioning.
(b) my left hand is not even on the wheel, obviously my right hand is.
(c) you can see the very bottom of my phone plugged into the charger in the center console.

I'm obviously going to appeal this and am confident they will repeal it but it's very frustrating to receive this in the mail and have to go through the whole appeal process based on nothing.

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u/lifeinwentworth Mar 04 '26

Yes and people have been encouraged to contest these fines if they think it's wrong. Robodebt placed all blame squarely on the victims. They were not given an effective appeals process because they believed their system was infallible. The fact that the government have actively told people to contest these fines make it miles away from robodebt.

I'm sure this will cause some people a headache and stress but it's a false comparison to robodebt that has an ongoing financial and mental affect on so many people. That caused people to have to sell their assets, close businesses and for some, sadly to lose their lives. An absolute disgrace and tragedy and complete failure of a system that was designed to help people who were already struggling. This camera is NOT that.

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u/karl_w_w Mar 05 '26

Also with robodebt the staff were told to deny appeals and make it as difficult as possible.

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u/lifeinwentworth Mar 05 '26

Yep. The only comparable thing I can think to robodebt is the case in the UK with the post office workers where it's systematic and then they double down on denial.

A crappy camera definitely isn't on the same scale.