Topic: Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance
Q3. “The integration of artificial intelligence into policing marks a shift from community-based law enforcement to centralised algorithmic control”. Evaluate the nature of this shift. Analyse its implications for police accountability and its impact on democratic freedoms. (15 M)
Difficulty Level: Medium
Reference: IE
Why the question
The increasing use of artificial intelligence in policing has intensified concerns regarding centralisation of coercive power, weakening of accountability, and the protection of civil liberties in a democratic polity.Key demand of the question
The question seeks an evaluation of the shift from community-based policing to centralised algorithmic control and an analysis of its implications for police accountability and democratic freedoms.Structure of the answer
Introduction
Briefly contextualise the growing reliance on AI in law enforcement and its significance for governance and constitutional democracy.Body
- Nature of the shift from community-oriented policing to data-driven and centralised decision-making.
- Implications of algorithmic policing for internal and external accountability of police institutions.
- Impact of AI-enabled surveillance and predictive policing on fundamental rights and democratic freedoms.
Conclusion
Underline the importance of embedding constitutional safeguards, transparency, and human oversight in technology-driven policing.
