Northumbria University Secures £3.4 Million for Research on AI in Law Enforcement
A research team led by Northumbria University has received £3.4 million in funding from Responsible AI UK (RAI UK) to explore the use of probabilistic AI in law enforcement. The four-year project, titled PROBabLE Futures – Probabilistic AI Systems in Law Enforcement Futures, is one of three Keystone projects selected by RAI UK. It aims to address the challenges and uncertainties associated with using AI technologies in policing and justice.
Professor Marion Oswald MBE, from Northumbria Law School, will lead the research, collaborating with an interdisciplinary team from several UK universities, including Glasgow, Northampton, Leicester, Cambridge, and Aberdeen. The project will also involve law enforcement, commercial technology companies, and third-sector partners.
According to Professor Oswald, the research will focus on the uncertainties surrounding AI outputs used in law enforcement processes.
“AI-based technologies can provide measurable benefits for policing by managing large amounts of data, identifying risks, and improving efficiency. However, the uncertain or probabilistic nature of AI outputs is often misunderstood, which can have real-world, potentially serious consequences,” said Oswald.
The research aims to develop a framework that accounts for these uncertainties, ensuring AI systems are used responsibly and with a clear understanding of their limitations. The project’s findings are expected to have broader implications beyond law enforcement, potentially informing the use of probabilistic AI in other fields such as healthcare.
The launch of PROBabLE Futures was announced at the CogX Festival in Los Angeles, a key event for global technology leaders and policymakers.
Professor Gopal Ramchurn, CEO of Responsible AI UK, emphasized the importance of addressing the ethical and societal challenges posed by rapidly advancing AI technology:
“These projects were selected because they tackle some of the most pressing issues we face as AI continues to evolve. Our goal is to ensure AI development benefits society as a whole.”
The funding is part of a £31 million investment in Responsible AI UK, supported by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) through the UKRI Technology Missions Fund and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
In addition to AI in law enforcement, the PROBabLE Futures project will collaborate with other Keystone projects to explore how these findings could be applied to other sectors where AI’s probabilistic nature presents challenges.
Find out more at: https://www.rai.ac.uk/ and https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/about-us/news-events/news/major-funding-for-flagship-research-project-on-ai-in-law-enforcement/
