In the intricate dance between technology and society, one digital player is emerging as an unsung hero of crime prevention – generative AI, writes Rob Sinclair, CEO of the software firm Altia.
As our world becomes more interconnected and data-rich, the technological advancement of artificial intelligence is stepping into the spotlight, reshaping the landscape of law enforcement, and bringing to the fore an unprecedented edge to their operations.
Generative AI advances crime prevention, representing AI’s evolution towards proactive strategies, promising impactful applications wherever it is used. It provides law enforcement with a potent weapon in their arsenal as they look to stop adversaries who are increasingly looking to evolve their practices.
And so, ensuring police forces are equipped with the latest digital tools to rise to the challenge of crime is something Altia, which specialises in generative AI investigative software, aims to deliver.
Making sense of the data
Generative AI is streamlining operations in the policing space, particularly in its ability to organise, manage, and process rich data sets. Historically, law enforcement agencies have grappled with the laborious and time-consuming task of transcribing interviews, as well as analysing vast amounts of data manually. But the advent of generative AI turns this on its head.
Where transcribing interviews once involved outsourcing to external companies, which incurred significant costs and countless hours, this can now be done in house. Transcribing interviews in real-time, generative AI can enable rapid extraction of crucial information and key insights which are vital to any case.
Meanwhile, facilitating entity matching, users can swiftly identify individuals, locations, and any other pertinent details from vast datasets. The end result is a supercharged case management space, where access to accurate and relevant information can make a crucial difference in solving crimes and prevent future incidents. But it’s ability to organise goes well beyond case-related information.
Identifying the risks
The technology is being increasingly used as a safeguard during major national events. For example, Altia’s CLIO application has been employed during the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and the G7 Summit in Cornwall. At the upcoming Euro’s tournament this summer, generative AI technology will likely be utilised too.
The power it holds is that it enables police forces to query data using natural language, and summarise large amounts of textual data quickly, particularly important in live crime situations where speed is particularly of the essence.
Should the unthinkable happen, officers on the ground and behind the scenes are equipped with procedures which need to be implemented, as well as having real-time information at the touch of a button, allowing them to bring calm to what could be a drastically chaotic situation.
Refining with transparency
With AI aiding and guiding user transparency is particularly important, firstly in displaying to the user where the AI got the information from and why it suggested it, and secondly in recording decisions that were made during incidents and the way the situation developed provides an audit log which can be reviewed and digested after.
As a result, decisions can be justified, they can be explained, and they can be reviewed for the impact they made, allowing police forces to refine their approaches to difficult situations, using in-depth knowledge of what worked, and what didn’t. During public inquiries, it can provide comprehensive reasoning behind a decision, allowing police forces to show that choices were made in good faith and based on the best information possible.
The future
The use of generative AI shows great promise in helping create a safer and more secure future. It’s not merely about predicting what may happen; it’s about using data to reshape our knowledge; it’s about allowing law enforcement to show transparency and demonstrate their duty of care; and crucially, it’s about empowering users with the information they need to do their job in protecting the public. The journey of generative AI has just begun, and the possibilities are as boundless as the digital frontier itself.
About Altia
Rob Sinclair is CEO of Altia, a Nottingham-based software firm which creates intelligence and investigation software for law enforcement agencies, government departments and the private sector. Altia also has offices in Glasgow and Reading. Visit altiaintel.com.
