I’ll be the first to admit: I don’t know enough about Artificial Intelligence (AI), let alone Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). But I know enough to sense that it will influence nearly every aspect of our society — including policing, the justice system, and the fabric of our communities.
Recently, I read through a paper projecting scenarios for where AI might be by 2027. It wasn’t easy reading. I had to take it in small chunks. The stories it tells are both fascinating and unsettling: foreign powers stealing powerful models, breakthroughs that outpace human oversight, AIs designing new algorithms faster than we can comprehend, and governments are scrambling to keep up.
What struck me wasn’t just the science fiction feel of it all, but the very practical question: How will these forces shape policing and public safety?
Policing at an Inflection Point
Policing has always been influenced by technology. Radios, cars, DNA testing, body cameras — each changed the profession in profound ways. AI feels different. It isn’t just a tool; it’s a decision-maker, a partner, and sometimes even a risk.
Imagine an AI that can analyze body camera footage in real time. Helpful? Yes — but what happens if it misreads a situation or reflects biases baked into its training data? Imagine predictive models that flag individuals or neighborhoods. Who gets labeled? Who gets overlooked? And how do we ensure accountability when the decision-making process is often opaque, even to its designers?
Lessons from the Past, Questions for the Future
The AI 2027 scenarios show both opportunity and concerns. Superhuman AI researchers advancing cures for diseases, yes. But also the possibility of cyberwarfare, disinformation campaigns, and systems too powerful for humans to reliably control.
For policing, I believe the lesson is this: if we rely on AI only to control, we will repeat the mistakes of the past. But if we learn to use AI to connect — to deepen trust, strengthen transparency, and create fairer systems — then maybe we can bend this technology toward justice.
A Call for Humble Preparedness
I don’t pretend to have answers. What I do know is that we can’t ignore what’s coming. The Future Policing Institute, where I’m honored to serve as a fellow, is beginning to track these impacts. We’ll need ethicists, technologists, community members, and yes, police officers, at the same table.
As with every cultural shift, the questions are as important as the answers:
- How do we protect civil liberties while adopting AI tools?
- How do we ensure human dignity isn’t lost in a wave of automation?
- What does accountability look like when the decision-maker is a machine?
I don’t know exactly how AI will change policing. But I know it will. The question before us is whether we let it deepen the divides we already struggle with, or whether we use it — carefully, humbly — to build the kind of safety that is rooted in trust, belonging, and shared responsibility.
Take care,
Mike
