AI in Policing Public Dialogue Publication
Publication
The results of the Sciencewise and Home Office funded AI in Policing public dialogue have been published.
58 members of the public have been taking part in a mix of online and in person workshops to explore the considerations around the use of AI by police forces. A diverse group of the public gathered to hear evidence from those with professional expertise in AI and policing, and to consider in depth what the key opportunities and concerns should be for policymakers in this area.
Results from the dialogue
Those who took part in the work identified four potential strengths for the use of AI in policing:
- Great potential. Rapid AI development has shown potential to improve future policing.
- Improved efficiency. Participants were impressed at the speed at which AI could accomplish tasks.
- Reduction in human error. Participants acknowledged that human error is inevitable in any job, and using AI in policing could mitigate this.
- Preventative not reactive. AI use was seen as a potentially powerful preventative measure.
They also identified four potential weaknesses they felt should be addressed:
- Lack of oversight. Without human oversight, participants felt far less comfortable with the use of AI in policing, particularly for decision – making. They expect the police to review the output of AI systems before taking a decision.
- Loss of human interaction. Participants felt AI was too limited in its ability to replicate human nuance and empathy, which is important in some policing use cases.
- Data security risks. There was concern about data breaches, particularly if their sensitive data is involved.
- Errors seem inevitable. AI has the potential to reinforce unjustified biases and produce errors. Participants expected the police to proactively manage this.