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As body-worn cameras and other digital evidence sources become more integral to investigations, the volume of audio and video material continues to grow—placing a heavy burden on evidence review teams. Auto-Transcribe helps alleviate that burden by automatically converting audio from evidence into searchable text, streamlining the review process and improving case efficiency.
This tool is powered by automated speech recognition (ASR) and is built with legal safeguards to ensure human review and evidentiary integrity remain at the core.
This FAQ is intended to answer common legal questions about how Auto-Transcribe works along with our new feature Auto-Translate, and how they impact discovery and case preparation, and what protections are in place.
You can find additional FAQs for our other AI solutions in our AI Era Plan FAQs page.
Auto-Transcribe Frequently Asked Questions
What is Auto-Transcribe?
Auto-Transcribe is an AI-powered tool that converts spoken audio from body-worn cameras and other evidence sources into text. It helps officers, attorneys, and investigators save time by turning long recordings into searchable transcripts.
What types of audio does Auto-Transcribe process?
Auto-Transcribe is primarily used for body-worn camera (BWC) footage but can also handle other audio evidence such as interview recordings or dictation from officers using smartphones or computers.
Is Auto-Transcribe fully automated?
Yes—but with safeguards. The AI generates an initial transcript, but it is labeled “unverified” until reviewed and approved by a human user. This ensures that transcripts used for investigative or legal purposes are always validated.
Can Auto-Transcribe be used to generate court-ready transcripts?
Not automatically. While the transcripts offer significant time savings, they are not certified for courtroom use unless reviewed and validated. We designed Auto-Transcribe to include an easy-to-use editing tool that enables users to review, edit and verify the transcript so it can be 100% accurate.
What happens if the AI mishears or mislabels speech?
Transcripts are editable. Any inaccuracies can be corrected during the verification process. The original audio is always preserved, and the person who edited the transcript is tracked in the audit-log to maintain transparency and traceability.
How secure are Auto-Transcribe files?
All data is stored within Axon’s secure, encrypted cloud infrastructure on Axon Evidence or Axon Justice. Transcripts are not shared externally and remain within agency control unless explicitly shared for casework.
How does Auto-Transcribe support case preparation?
Auto-Transcribe enables faster evidence review, easier identification of key statements, and simplified sharing of relevant segments. Attorneys can focus their attention on meaningful content without having to manually listen to hours of recordings.
What are some practical use-cases for Auto-Transcribe?
There are a number of practical use-cases for Auto-Transcribe. Many officers and attorneys have saved hours using the keyword search tool, which allows you to search the transcripts across different evidence files. Auto-Transcribe is also helping prosecutors review their cases faster. Lisa Borden, an Assistant District Attorney in Ector County, says that Auto-Transcribe has changed the game. “Now, with one click, I can skip to the critical statements.” With automated transcripts and keyword search functionality, the time spent on initial case reviews has been reduced by 25-50%. By saving hours on video analysis, Auto-Transcribe is helping prosecutors focus on building stronger cases while maintaining attention to detail.
Learn about other ways Auto-Transcribe can save users time.
Where can I go to learn more about Auto-Transcribe?
If you want to dive deeper, then we recommend checking out this on-demand webinar for prosecutors where Axon’s Director of Justice Solutions, Brent Berkley, will walk you through Auto-Transcribe. You will see an in-depth demo of the software and see how your office can save time leveraging this transcription tool.
Auto-Translate Frequently Asked Questions
What is Auto-Translate?
Auto-Translate is a feature in Axon Evidence that translates transcripts of non-English audio into English. It’s designed to help attorneys, investigators, and officers understand the content of multilingual evidence quickly and efficiently.
How is Auto-Translate different from Real-Time Translation?
Real-Time Translation enables live, in-the-field conversations across language barriers using body cameras. Auto-Translate, by contrast, is used to translate already-recorded evidence, allowing for post-incident review and analysis.
Is Auto-Translate intended for courtroom use?
Not directly. Auto-Translate provides a base-level understanding of foreign-language audio so legal professionals can decide whether the content is relevant. For formal use in court, a certified human translation is still recommended.
What are the primary use cases for Auto-Translate?
Quickly prioritizing which evidence is relevant and identifying when a human translation is required for court or the highest levels of accuracy
Preparing for trial with initial context
Reviewing interviews or statements
Supporting bilingual staff or part-time translators with draft translations
How accurate is the translation?
The tool is built using high-performing language models and available for Spanish-to-English translation. While generally reliable, it may struggle with slang. All translations should be reviewed by humans before formal submission. Additional languages are planned for the future.
What happens to the original audio and transcript?
They remain unchanged. Auto-Translate creates a separate and temporary read-only English-language version of the transcript. Both the transcription and translation are available within the Axon Evidence platform for comparison.
How does Auto-Translate support the legal process?
Officers and attorneys no longer need to send every piece of non-English evidence for human translation up front—saving time and money. This lets legal teams focus resources on translating only the most relevant content for a case, and allows them to start building cases earlier.
What languages are available with Auto-Translate?
Auto-Translate launched with Spanish-to-English translations, however more languages are planned for the future.
How can I get Auto-Translate?
Auto-Translate is a feature of Unlimited Auto-Transcribe. All customers with Unlimited Auto-Transcribe, the Axon AI Era Plan or Axon Justice will have Auto-Translate available to them.
Conclusion
Auto-Transcribe is designed to reduce administrative burden and accelerate the justice process without compromising the accuracy or integrity of evidence. By offering rapid, searchable transcripts backed by human review, it gives legal professionals the tools they need to work more efficiently—while still maintaining full control over the final product.
For more resources on Auto-Transcribe or other Axon AI tools, visit axon.com/ai.