A global ethics perspective on AI and digital technology in policing

Digital technologies including tools, systems, devices, and resources that generate, process, store, and exchange data using computational techniques (commonly known as artificial intelligence), offer new opportunities for policing (Chan, 2021). However, these advancements introduce ethical challenges on an unprecedented scale. Increasingly, policing is a global enterprise, consisting of interconnected processes, practices, and ideologies (Loader et al., 2016: 4), evident in the interdependence of nation-states' policing bodies and shared legal, procedural, and operational mechanisms (Cerny, 2015). As police organisations and policymakers navigate the complexities of innovations, alongside existing and emergent regulation and legislation, they are confronted with the global ethical consequences of pursuing and implementing such solutions. This theoretical paper (precursory to forthcoming empirical research) explores these ethical dimensions in a UK context. The themes covered will also be of interest to police authorities elsewhere. The primary aim of the paper is to propose a global ethical framework (referred to by the acronym ‘FORESIGHT’) that informs strategic decision-making about the development, procurement and implementation of digital technologies in policing.

Current discussions about ethics in policing primarily focus on issues such as human rights, data privacy, proportionality, regulation and governance, accountability, fairness, and bias avoidance. These debates revolve around balancing individual privacy with the need to achieve crime control objectives and secure public safety. Strategically, the decision-making processes are supported by the Police Code of Ethics (College of Policing, 2024) and the National Decision Model (NDM) (College of Policing, 2013, 2024). However, the ethical approach applied turns on deontological and utilitarian principles, prioritising utility and operational service delivery: inadvertently resulting in a unidirectional view which neglects global ethical dimensions and the consequences of technology development, production, manufacture, implementation and maintenance. In contrast, global ethics is concerned with moral principles and values that apply across national, cultural, and social boundaries, aiming to address challenges such as, inter alia, human rights, environmental sustainability, global justice, and the distribution and use of resources. Its premises include the belief in universal moral obligations, human interconnectedness, and the need to consider the vulnerabilities of populations. It is inherently multidisciplinary, combining moral, political, and rights-based theories with global governance and practical considerations (Widdows, 2014). Its relevance to digital technologies lies in how their development and application transcend borders, often with far-reaching global impacts. Therefore, a global ethical framework is useful for guiding decisions about technology, ensuring its development and use promote global well-being and minimize harm.

While most of the 43 police services in England and Wales have ethics committees to resolve organisational concerns, the composition, expertise, and procedures vary significantly (Snelling et al., 2023). Additionally, only a few committees are chaired by someone outside the police, and fewer still use an open application process for selecting chairpersons. The formality and presentation of advice and recommendations differ across committees. Moreover, the regional ethics committees and National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) National Ethics Committee, while having responsibility for managing ethical dilemmas, may lack the specialist technical expertise necessary, to advise on the development and use of complex and innovative technologies. Concern is also reported about the scope, type, and consistency of the ethical frameworks in operation (Snelling et al., 2023). In response to some of the shortcomings in technical expertise, there is ongoing work by the NPCC and Biometric and Forensic Ethics Group (BFEG) to establish a national vehicle for independent advice on ethical matters, relating to existing and emerging technologies, intended to supplement the current decision-making arrangements in UK policing (BFEG, 2023). The appointment of a chief scientific adviser to the NPCC is acknowledged, together with the reality that this is a fast-moving and evolving landscape for the police.

Considering the shortfalls identified, this paper proposes a global ethical framework, represented by the acronym ‘FORESIGHT,’ intended to support decision-making processes for the development and implementation of digital technologies in policing. The framework consists of nine distinct, yet interconnected areas (no hierarchy is implied by the order in which they appear): Financial and Economic, Organisational, Regulation and Legal, Environmental, Social, Innovation and Technological, Geopolitical, Human Health, and Trade and Markets. While each component addresses unique ethical dimensions, they work in synergy to provide a comprehensive approach to strategic decision-making for the development and implementation of digital technologies in policing.