Prevention of Discrimination in the Practices of Predictive Policing

Artificial IntelligenceArtificial Intelligence (AI) (AI)—driven regulations become increasingly prevalent in the field of law. In this context, the predictivePredictive policingPolicing practices used in detecting and preventing the potential criminalityCriminality emerge. In the practices of predictivePredictive policingPolicing, basically, the dataData on the crimes committed in the past (such as the setting of the crimes—place and time, perpetrator and victim) are analyzed by algorithmsAlgorithms, and a risk assessment regarding the commission of a new crime is conducted. Within the framework of the conducted risk assessment, the police take the necessary precautions to prevent the criminalityCriminality. The use of AI in the practices of predictivePredictive policingPolicing creates an impression that risk assessment and its results are independent of human biasBias. On the contrary, AI algorithmsAlgorithms involve the biases of the people who design the algorithmsAlgorithms. In addition, the dataData analyzed by algorithmsAlgorithms are not free from the biases of societies and class inequalities, either. Therefore, the practices of predictivePredictive policingPolicing are also likely to reflect discriminatory thoughts and practices of both individuals and societies. To prevent this situation, the practices of predictivePredictive policingPolicing should be critically examined, and possible solutions should be discussed. In this study, the side of predictivePredictive policingPolicing practices which is prone to discriminationDiscrimination will be examined, and the steps that can be taken to protect minorities and vulnerable groups in society will be discussed.