First, there were collars, then there were microchips. Now, we’re using doorbell cameras to track down lost dogs.
Ring, Amazon’s smart doorbell security system, launched Search Party, an AI system that helps locate lost dogs, last fall. In its first three months, the feature has brought home 99 lost dogs in just 90 days, according to Amazon CEO Andy Jassy.
“Good example of real-world impact, and proud of what the Ring team has built here,” Jassy wrote.
Ring ran a heartstring-tugging ad about Search Party during the Super Bowl. In it, a family finds their lost dog Milo, thanks to the company’s tech.
Some viewers didn’t find the ad so heartwarming. Users on X and TikTok posted about how the ad made them feel overly surveilled. Others called it “dystopian.”
Some of the online backlash also referenced Ring’s recent partnership with Flock Safety. A May story from 404 Media alleged ties between Flock and ICE. Local law enforcement may access Ring videos, but they must submit requests that users can deny or ignore.
“Ring has no partnership with ICE, does not give ICE videos, feeds, or back-end access, and does not share video with them,” the company wrote in an earlier statement to Wirecutter.
Search Party does require sign-offs from individual users to release footage. When a pet owner posts about their lost dog in the Ring app, local cameras begin searching. If your camera spots something that looks like the missing dog, you can approve (or deny) sharing the video.
“The AI is trained on tens of thousands of dog videos so it can recognize different breeds, sizes, fur patterns, body features, unique marks, shape, and color,” Jassy wrote. “And privacy stays in your control—you decide each time whether to help.”
Jassy called it one of the “compelling use cases of AI.” Indeed, Amazon’s Ring has gone all in on AI — both in its products and in the workplace.
When founder Jamie Siminoff returned to lead the department in 2025, he mandated that staff show how they use AI when applying for promotions, according to a memo viewed by Business Insider.
Siminoff later confirmed the change in an interview. “We’re going to promote based on AI. We’re going to promote based on how you’re integrating AI into your job,” Siminoff told Business Insider.
He also said that the RBKS department — Ring, Blink, Key, and Sidewalk — asked about AI in hiring interviews. The department is looking to hire AI natives, he said.
Search Party is just one initiative in Siminoff’s push to refocus Ring on security. One of his first moves was to replace Ring’s socially driven mission (“Keep people close to what’s important”) with one emphasizing safety.
Ring’s new mission: “Make neighborhoods safer.”
As for those dogs, Jassy shouted out some pups that had made their way home. One military veteran lost his service dog, Lainey. Ring found her later that day.
Nyx dug a hole under the fence. Ring found him within 15 minutes.
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