Police using AI risks making discrimination worse, researchers warn
Summary
Researchers warn that AI tools used to predict crime hotspots can reinforce discrimination when they rely on police data shaped by past bias. They call for stronger human oversight and checks on the data, while one AI researcher says modern systems can account for historical bias but still need meaningful human control.Key Facts
- The article describes an essay by British science writer Adrian Dredge that won the 2026 Young Science Writer Award.
- Researchers say biased historical police data can skew predictions about where crime will occur.
- More patrols in predicted hotspots can lead police to record more crime there, reinforcing future predictions.
- Dr Carolyn McKay of the University of Sydney Law School calls for human oversight and scrutiny of policing systems and their data.
- Sarah Brayne’s research on the Los Angeles Police Department found that crime data favored incidents in public places and reflected disproportionate police attention to Black neighbourhoods.
- Brayne says predictive systems can help shape the events they forecast, creating a feedback loop.
- Dr Dimitrios Kollias of Queen Mary University of London says modern AI can combine information in new ways, but its decisions still need to remain safe, reliable, and under human control.
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