How to Conduct an Ethics Assessment of AI in Policing

Abstract

This paper provides two distinct approaches to conduct an ethics assessment of AI in policing. Crucially, ethical scrutiny must engage all aspects of the policing context. The context for adopting AI is neither solely technical nor solely societal in importance; it is a socio-technical interaction whereby technological systems (law enforcement or safeguarding) are designed by humans (developers) for humans (police) with an impact on individuals (citizens, residents, suspects, victims) and their relationship with the police. With this socio-technical complexity forming the policing context, ethical assessments must be carried out encompassing both the technical and the societal (human).