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Written question asked by Zarah Sultana (Independent (affiliation)) on Thursday, 6 March 2025, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 10 March 2025. It was answered by Diana Johnson (Labour) on Monday, 17 March 2025 on behalf of the Home Office.

Police: Artificial Intelligence

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of predictive policing methods on freedom of association.

Answer

AI, and other technologies, can provide a wide range of benefits to improve efficiency and productivity in policing, as well as boosting public confidence by improving the prevention, detection and investigation of crime. However, the procurement and deployment of AI technology to assist with forecasting potential areas of crime or disorder, commonly known as 'predictive policing', must always be subject to strong safeguards.

The AI Covenant for Policing was agreed at National Police Chiefs Council in September 2023. This provides practical high-level principles that, if followed, will ensure that the police develop and use AI tools that are lawful, transparent, explainable, responsible, accountable and robust.

The Home Office has provided funding to support the National Police Chiefs Council AI Portfolio to drive consistency and create guidance for forces to develop and deploy AI tools, and we are undertaking further detailed work in this area. There are a number of essential wider protections in place, including the Public Sector Equality Duty, to ensure that all Government policies take account of the human rights impacts on individuals.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
36140
Session
2024-26
Subjects
Crime prevention Police Freedom of association Artificial intelligence
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk