AI license plate cameras tore this town apart and led to a state of emergency 100%
By Annie Gowen0%
5/17/2026, 10:00:00 AM
BS Summary: This article contains 10 faulty reasoning types, including Availability Heuristic, Negativity Bias, and Post Hoc (False Cause), with Biased Writer Voice as the most egregious example at 100% saturation with 88 hits. Analysis detected 466 faulty-reasoning hits from 88 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 100% and a BS Rank of 100% (26 of 16,813 articles). This article is worse (more manipulative) than 99.90% of the article peer group.
TROY, N.Y. — The civic uproar began quietly, when a mom walking her newborn spotted a strange black contraption at the end of her block: a camera topped with a solar panel.
Dierdre Shea researched the camera and learned that it was an artificial-intelligence-assisted license plate reader — the type that have caused privacy concerns across the country in recent months, leading to laws limiting their use in more than a dozen states.
Confirmation Bias
46.6%Confirmation Bias
OverallThis article
46.6%AuthorAnnie Gowen
11.6%PublicationThe Washington Post
3.8%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Anchoring Bias
0%Anchoring Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAnnie Gowen
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
1.3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Availability Heuristic
83%Availability Heuristic
OverallThis article
83%AuthorAnnie Gowen
44%PublicationThe Washington Post
4.9%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Representativeness Heuristic
0%Representativeness Heuristic
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAnnie Gowen
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Hindsight Bias
0%Hindsight Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAnnie Gowen
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
0.5%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Overconfidence Bias
0%Overconfidence Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAnnie Gowen
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
1.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Framing Effect
17%Framing Effect
OverallThis article
17%AuthorAnnie Gowen
56%PublicationThe Washington Post
21.5%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Loss Aversion
0%Loss Aversion
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAnnie Gowen
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
0.8%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Status Quo Bias
0%Status Quo Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAnnie Gowen
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
0.8%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Sunk Cost Effect
0%Sunk Cost Effect
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAnnie Gowen
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Optimism Bias
0%Optimism Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAnnie Gowen
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
3.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Pessimism Bias
0%Pessimism Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAnnie Gowen
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
3.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Negativity Bias
53.4%Negativity Bias
OverallThis article
53.4%AuthorAnnie Gowen
35.2%PublicationThe Washington Post
18.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Self-Serving Bias
0%Self-Serving Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAnnie Gowen
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
1.5%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Fundamental Attribution Error
0%Fundamental Attribution Error
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAnnie Gowen
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
0.9%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Actor-Observer Bias
0%Actor-Observer Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAnnie Gowen
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
In-Group Bias
0%In-Group Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAnnie Gowen
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
2.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Out-Group Homogeneity Bias
0%Out-Group Homogeneity Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAnnie Gowen
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
0.8%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Halo Effect
0%Halo Effect
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAnnie Gowen
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
2.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Horn Effect
0%Horn Effect
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAnnie Gowen
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
0.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Dunning-Kruger Effect
0%Dunning-Kruger Effect
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAnnie Gowen
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
0%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Recency Bias
0%Recency Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAnnie Gowen
11.6%PublicationThe Washington Post
2.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Primacy Effect
0%Primacy Effect
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAnnie Gowen
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Blind-Spot Bias
0%Blind-Spot Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAnnie Gowen
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
0%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Ad Hominem
0%Ad Hominem
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAnnie Gowen
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
0.9%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Straw Man
0%Straw Man
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAnnie Gowen
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Appeal to Authority
46.6%Appeal to Authority
OverallThis article
46.6%AuthorAnnie Gowen
11.6%PublicationThe Washington Post
5.3%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
False Dilemma
0%False Dilemma
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAnnie Gowen
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
1.5%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Slippery Slope
0%Slippery Slope
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAnnie Gowen
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Circular Reasoning
0%Circular Reasoning
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAnnie Gowen
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Hasty Generalization
46.6%Hasty Generalization
OverallThis article
46.6%AuthorAnnie Gowen
15.9%PublicationThe Washington Post
5.9%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Red Herring
0%Red Herring
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAnnie Gowen
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Bandwagon
0%Bandwagon
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAnnie Gowen
11.6%PublicationThe Washington Post
0.5%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Appeal to Emotion
0%Appeal to Emotion
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAnnie Gowen
22.4%PublicationThe Washington Post
6.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Begging the Question
0%Begging the Question
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAnnie Gowen
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Post Hoc (False Cause)
53.4%Post Hoc (False Cause)
OverallThis article
53.4%AuthorAnnie Gowen
17.6%PublicationThe Washington Post
4.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Tu Quoque
0%Tu Quoque
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAnnie Gowen
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
0.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Burden of Proof
0%Burden of Proof
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAnnie Gowen
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
0.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Appeal to Nature
0%Appeal to Nature
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAnnie Gowen
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Composition/Division
0%Composition/Division
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAnnie Gowen
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Anecdotal
36.4%Anecdotal
OverallThis article
36.4%AuthorAnnie Gowen
18.2%PublicationThe Washington Post
1.9%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
No True Scotsman
0%No True Scotsman
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAnnie Gowen
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
0.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Ambiguity (Equivocation)
0%Ambiguity (Equivocation)
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAnnie Gowen
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
2.8%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Gambler’s Fallacy
0%Gambler’s Fallacy
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAnnie Gowen
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
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Middle Ground
0%Middle Ground
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAnnie Gowen
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Personal Incredulity
0%Personal Incredulity
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAnnie Gowen
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
0%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Special Pleading
0%Special Pleading
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAnnie Gowen
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
0.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Genetic Fallacy
0%Genetic Fallacy
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAnnie Gowen
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
0.2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Unattributed Quote
46.6%Unattributed Quote
OverallThis article
46.6%AuthorAnnie Gowen
11.6%PublicationThe Washington Post
4.8%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Quote-first Misdirection
0%Quote-first Misdirection
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAnnie Gowen
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
2.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Biased Writer Voice
100%Biased Writer Voice
OverallThis article
100%AuthorAnnie Gowen
54.3%PublicationThe Washington Post
15.1%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Indoctrination
0%Indoctrination
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAnnie Gowen
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
2%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Politically Left Leaning Bias
0%Politically Left Leaning Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAnnie Gowen
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
3.6%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Politically Right Leaning Bias
0%Politically Right Leaning Bias
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAnnie Gowen
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
1.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
Attempt to Sell a Product or Service
0%Attempt to Sell a Product or Service
OverallThis article
0%AuthorAnnie Gowen
0%PublicationThe Washington Post
1.4%Bar shows this article. Yellow and cyan markers show the selected author and publication averages.
88 words analyzed.
Analysis
Hover over highlighted words in the article to view the associated bias or fallacy analysis.