Avoiding the Harm of AI

There exists an intersection between the benefits of artificial intelligence and policing and its potential to inflict harm upon the people the police are sworn to protect. AI can enhance policing’s operational efficiency and effectiveness at controlling crime and disorder. But it can also induce unintended harm. The potential for harm will become more acute in the future as AI becomes exponentially more advanced. Accordingly, the police must thoughtfully navigate the complex ethical landscape surrounding its use of AI. By examining the issues involved in policing and AI we aim to help police leaders strike a delicate balance between harnessing AI’s power and maintaining civil liberties.

In this section, we discuss the various ways in which AI can be used to create harm in our society. We also examine the various ways that the unintended consequences of the police using AI can be harmful to the very people the police are paid to protect and what can be done to avoid the harm. In doing so, we lean heavily on the philosophy of community-led to engage key stakeholders in the co-production of AI in policing while avoiding harm.

Here, we also examine the harm AI can inflict on the police. Policing has already been victimized by ransomware attacks. The use of “disinformation bots” and other forms of AI-driven attacks on the police will grow in diversity and complexity in the future. Weaponizing AI against the police is going to become increasingly more prevalent in the coming years.