Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure that decisions made using AI in law enforcement can be (a) explained, (b) reviewed, and (c) challenged.

It is for operationally independent Chief Constables to decide when and how they use AI-enabled or algorithmic tooling.

However, the adoption of these technologies by law enforcement must be lawful, transparent, ethical and underpinned by robust data and governance arrangements. These principles are set out in the ‘Covenant for Using AI in Policing’ which all Chief Constables have signed.

The Home Office is working closely with the AI portfolio of the National Police Chief’s Council and the Police Chief Scientific Advisor to ensure policing has the resources and support it needs to abide by these principles consistently. This includes working with a range of academics from leading universities on a ‘responsible AI checklist’ and producing a detailed ‘AI playbook for policing’, akin to those produced for government departments.