AI-Based Predictive Policing on the Cards for South Africa?

Scientists and law enforcement agencies are using data mining and machine learning for "predictive policing". The field derives its name from the fact that many crimes - and criminals - have detectable patterns.

Predictive policing has enjoyed some successes. In a case study in the US, one police department was able to reduce gun incidents by 47% over the typically gun-happy New Year's Eve. Manchester police in the UK were similarly able to predict and reduce robberies, burglaries and thefts from motor vehicles by double digits in the first 10 weeks of rolling out predictive measures.

According to Omowunmi Isafiade of The Conversation, predictive policing holds for under-resourced policing divisions like those in South Africa. It could help reduce crime levels - some of the highest in the world and rising. It's a situation the country's police force seems ill-equipped to curb.

Emerging technologies are seen as critical tools for making South Africa safer, writes Kelly Stone for the Institute for Security Studies. For many in government and the tech sector, 'smart' technologies - including those equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities to identify and predict future crimes - are seen as a quick fix for a broken policing system. That is because they can, at least in theory, make 'intelligent' decisions based on data and logic rather than perception and intuition.