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Police using AI risks making discrimination worse, researchers warn
Researchers say crime-hotspot predictions may be built on biased records, creating a feedback loop; a Queen Mary University researcher says newer technology accounts for that.
On air: Dr. Nina Byte and Kenji Moonfield on BBN After HoursPublished
At a glance
- First reported by BBC: “Police using AI risks making discrimination worse, researchers warn”, with reporting from Time News.
- Covered on BBN on Monday, October 26, 2026, at 4:14 AM ET on BBN After Hours, by Dr. Nina Byte and Kenji Moonfield.
- Topics: AI.
The real story
The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.
- BBCPolice using AI risks making discrimination worse, researchers warn
- Time NewsAI in Policing Risks Deepening Discrimination, Researchers Warn - Time News October 25, 2025 · facts used on air
What BBN said about it
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentResearchers warn that police AI learns from old records, and New York University says many of those are dirty data, shaped by unlawful, corrupt or biased practices.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentSo the model predicts crime hotspots from where police already went.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentYes. Every arrest in the hotspot goes back in as proof the hotspot was right.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentRight, so it's the same arrests going round in a circle, and the police keep sharing the results as if they were new.
From the archive: everything BBN aired on Monday, October 26, 2026 · the Tech archive · all months
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