AI TECHNOLOGY
THE FUTURE OF POLICING: EMBRACING AI AMID ETHICAL AND PRACTICAL CHALLENGES
Exploring AI’s impact on policing in England and Wales, from efficiency gains to ethical dilemmas
capabilities with the fundamental principles of policing, ensuring transparency, fairness and community trust in its integration.
“What AI should never do is replace the discretion which is fundamental with those who hold the office of constable,” Leigh continued. “Whist AI can be programmed to resemble emotional intelligence, true emotional intelligence requires a depth of understanding and consciousness that AI simply does not possess, yet.
Leigh Godfrey, PFEW digital and BWV lead, discusses how Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become increasingly intertwined with the field of policing, revolutionising practices from digital fingerprint scanning to facial recognition and data analysing. As AI continues to embed itself withing policing across England and Wales, its transformative impact on law enforcement is undeniable.
He discussed different initiatives that are designed to enhance officers’ efficiency and decision-making, exemplifying AI’s potential to streamline operations. “Let me be clear, AI has been intrinsically linked to policing for a number of years, such as digital fingerprint scanning, facial recognition, or data analysis,” explained Lee. “It is already here; it will stay here and will fundamentally change the policing landscape in the future. “AI is already embedded within policing throughout England and Wales
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and will undoubtedly continue to grow exponentially as technology evolves. “Once such example is BobbyBot, an initiative designed and created by UBDS, which is a mobile app allowing officers to have instant access to legislation, regulations, force policies and authorised
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“What AI should never do is replace the discretion which is fundamental with those who hold the office of constable.”
professional practices. “The intention when this was created was merely to assist cops, enhance performance, increase confidence in decision making or identify training needs. Unfortunately, despite the greatest of intentions, there comes the potential of the technology being interpreted, or perceived in a different way.” Amid promises of improving
performance and reduce crime rates, significant ethical concerns loom large. The challenge lies in balancing AI’s
“Whilst algorithms can be coded to be extremely pragmatic and potentially take away all human biases, AI could also perpetuate human biases if the underlying data used is of itself biased. “AI will change the face of policing, increase efficiency, improve performance and help in lowering crime, but it also comes with huge ethical concerns, has the potential to damage confidence and reduce trust. AI must be implemented transparently, fairly and with due regard to our
communities to assist integrating AI within policing throughout England and Wales. “How does AI interact with the Peelian principles of ‘the police are the public and the public are the police’? “Without doubt AI can free up officer time, help with administration, improve access to information and share intelligence more efficiently between forces and other partner agencies. “AI is the future, however for me I would rather be double crewed with a bobby rather than a bot.”
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