AI Ethics Framework: Introduction

Ensuring Victoria Police applies relevant legal and ethical frameworks to any use of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

This framework is intended to ensure Victoria Police applies relevant legal and ethical frameworks to any use of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Artificial Intelligence technologies can assist police in achieving important law enforcement objectives including offender identification, efficient processing and management of data; efficient resourcing to exercise core policing functions; and promoting community safety. 

Appropriately designed and tailored AI can be more efficient in policing contexts than reliance on human assessment alone. 

AI can assist police to process and act upon large data sets to provide operational and intelligence clarity that enhances the human decision-making process (but should never be used in place of human decision making).

AI technologies can present risks if applied in an ill-equipped manner or inappropriately tailored to the use case. 

Such risks include where AI technologies operate in a discriminatory manner that is inscrutable to the officer using the technology, which may result in violations of human rights and or risk of legal consequences; and where AI technologies replace human decision-making processes or the exercise of police powers (such as arrest or the use of force).

It is imperative to ensure the use of all AI is ethical and lawful, to ensure the benefits of the technology can be harnessed whilst also maintaining community trust and confidence in the work of Victoria Police.

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