Cairo

Source: Al-Wafd newspaper

Dr. Ali Mohamed Al-Khouri

Many countries have adopted AI technologies in law enforcement to enhance crime-fighting efficiency and improve police operations. These technologies seek to analyze massive amounts of data to extract patterns that help predict crime-prone areas, as well as help identify suspects using technologies such as facial recognition and video analysis.

One of the key benefits of these technologies is the ability to anticipate crimes before they happen, such as using AI to predict areas where criminal activity is likely to occur. This type of “predictive policing” relies on machine learning algorithms, which use data such as criminal records and demographic information to analyze past patterns, allowing police forces to focus on areas that need extra patrols.

These systems are also used to identify suspects through facial recognition technology, which compares photos of people in public places to a database of suspects. This technology has proven effective in speeding up the arrest of wanted persons, but it has raised human rights concerns regarding privacy and potential abuses in its use.

Despite the significant benefits of these systems, there are ethical challenges associated with the use of AI in criminal justice. The most significant of these challenges is the bias that can result from training algorithms on unbalanced data, which can lead to unfair decisions against certain population groups. This raises concerns about discrimination and fairness in law enforcement, especially if historical data containing racial or social biases is relied upon.

The lack of transparency in how AI decisions are made is also a major concern, as it can make it difficult to explain wrong decisions or potential biases. Additionally, the use of intelligent surveillance technologies such as facial recognition raises questions about individuals’ right to privacy and the potential for these tools to be misused for mass surveillance.

In light of the rapid global technological advancement and adoption, countries and societies must ask: To what extent can we rely on artificial intelligence in the field of law enforcement without compromising the fundamental values ​​of justice and privacy? The bigger question here is not only about the efficiency of these technologies, but about how to preserve our humanity and ethics in a world governed by algorithms.