UK university to investigate AI in policing

The UK police have been ramping up the use of facial recognition, biometric data and artificial intelligence with plans to double down on these technologies in 2024. A university in the country wants to investigate the ethics of applying such technologies.

Northumbria University has received £286,000 (US$360,000) from the government-funded Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) to examine the responsible use of AI in policing.

“The deployment of AI and emerging technologies by the police promises more effective use of data for the prevention and detection of crime but brings with it considerable threats of disproportionality and interference with fundamental rights,” says Marion Oswald, Northumbria Law School professor and the principal investigator in the project.

The research will shed light on how police can improve the legitimacy and responsibility of using AI, collaborating with the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner and the West Midlands Police Data Ethics Committee.

During the past year, UK policing authorities have been battling criticism from experts, rights groups and lawmakers, particularly for its use of facial recognition.

Policing authorities have faced accusations of lobbying for a company deploying facial recognition surveillance in retail stores and a UK Parliament probe into the force’s deployment of live facial recognition technology. More recently, the police landed in hot water for its secretive use of the country’s passport database for facial recognition.

Despite the bad press, Policing Minister Chris Philp has been pushing for expanding facial recognition use in all police forces nationally.

The funding for the Northumbria research is part of a wider £100 million investment into AI research across sectors such as education, policing, and the creative industries. Announced on Tuesday by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), a government body that directs research and innovation funding, the investment will finance ten scoping studies under AHRC, which is also part of UKRI.

Aside from the studies, the funding will also be used to set up nine new AI research hubs across the UK.

Article Topics

AI  |  biometric identifiers  |  biometrics  |  criminal ID  |  ethics  |  facial recognition  |  police  |  UK