Government officials in the UK are making use of AI and intricate algorithms within various governmental departments and law enforcement agencies to render judgments, spanning areas like welfare, immigration, and criminal justice. The integration of AI into these decision-making processes has prompted concerns regarding potential bias and a lack of transparency. An investigation conducted by The Guardian has exposed a number of problematic cases, including:

1. The application of an algorithm within the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), which might have resulted in the incorrect cessation of benefits for a significant number of individuals.
2. The use of a facial recognition tool by the Metropolitan police exhibits lower accuracy when recognising black individuals compared to white ones.
3. The employment of an algorithm by the Home Office to detect sham marriages, a practice that appears to disproportionately target individuals from specific national backgrounds.

Why does this matter?

AI systems are typically trained on extensive datasets, and if these datasets contain bias or discrimination, the AI tools are prone to generating biassed results. Concerns are mounting regarding the absence of proper oversight and accountability, particularly following the disbandment of an independent government advisory board responsible for overseeing AI usage in the public sector. Experts emphasise the urgency of taking action to prevent the potentially unlawful deployment of opaque automated systems in life-altering decisions.