Can AI Predict Crime? UK Explores Controversial Algorithmic Risk Tool

Authorities in the United Kingdom are reportedly exploring the use of artificial intelligence to anticipate and potentially prevent serious crimes—particularly murders—by analyzing criminal and personal data. The concept bears an uncanny resemblance to the plot of the 2002 sci-fi film Minority Report, in which future crimes are predicted before they occur.

What the Project Involves

According to The Guardian, the UK government is in the early research phase of a program known as "Sharing Data to Improve Risk Assessment." The initiative uses algorithms to assess the likelihood of individuals—already known to authorities—committing violent crimes in the future.

Currently, the system only draws data from individuals who already have a criminal record. This data includes:

Police and probation records

Medical histories, including issues related to addiction

Information on disabilities and mental health crises, such as suicide attempts

The stated goal is to enhance public safety by providing authorities with improved risk assessments to guide preventive strategies.

Raising Red Flags: Ethics and Bias

Despite its potential benefits, the project has already sparked significant ethical concerns:

It involves access to deeply personal and sensitive data

Critics worry it could result in discriminatory profiling, particularly against minority communities

The use of AI in this context may reinforce existing biases in law enforcement and social systems

Amnesty International released a report in February 2025 urging a ban on predictive policing tools, warning that such systems carry a high risk of discrimination and violate basic human rights.

Science Fiction or Emerging Reality?

The project brings to mind Steven Spielberg's Minority Report, where crimes are prevented by predicting them in advance—raising philosophical questions about free will, privacy, and the ethical limits of technology.

While the UK's initiative is far less advanced than its cinematic counterpart, it highlights a growing trend in law enforcement and government policy: the increased reliance on AI and data analytics to make decisions that could have serious consequences for individuals' lives.

What Comes Next?

As the program is still in its exploratory phase, no official launch date has been announced. However, privacy advocates and human rights organizations are already calling for transparency, oversight, and legal safeguards before any predictive crime system can be implemented in practice.

Whether this technology becomes a tool for safety or a source of injustice remains to be seen.