AI in policing risks deepening discrimination against minorities

Summarised from BBC Science's report · Updated 25 Oct, 12:50 · Archive

Researchers warn that AI tools used in policing may magnify existing discrimination against minority groups.

Researchers have warned that the growing use of artificial intelligence in policing risks deepening discrimination against minority groups. Studies suggest that predictions of future crime hotspots may be based on biased data, which can magnify existing prejudice and create a dangerous feedback loop.

Dr Carolyn McKay, an associate professor and researcher in digital justice at the University of Sydney Law School, says the problem is that AI systems are trained on data that already contains human bias. This can lead to self-fulfilling prophecies. McKay is calling for the use of AI in policing to be reviewed with greater human oversight, which would involve checking the data that forces use to find and remove any bias. She argues that 'the public functions of state policing ought to be subject to human oversight and scrutiny'.

Read the report

• Police using AI risks making discrimination worse, researchers warnAI tools learn from biased records and may deepen discrimination against minorities without oversight, researchers say.BBC Science · 25 Oct, 12:18

In this story: Dr Carolyn McKay · University of Sydney Law School · Association of British Science Writers

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