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Police Program Aims to Pinpoint Those Most Likely to Commit Crimes

nytimes.com

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Re: Police Program Aims to Pinpoint Those Most Likely to Commit Crimes

#21

Post by mentat »

jmnicolas wrote: post #15

"In Chicago, the police have developed a “heat list” of 400 people who are considered far more likely than the average person to be involved in violent crime. Factors in compiling that list included their criminal records, social circles and gang connections. Also a factor was whether they had been victims of an assault or a shooting." Yeah and I'm sure that Chicago detectives had absolutely no clue about those 400 p…

Instead of protecting and helping victims, expect them to retaliate and be waiting when they do... Awesome.

Re: Police Program Aims to Pinpoint Those Most Likely to Commit Crimes

#23

Post by smtddr »

krapp wrote: post #20
mtgx wrote: post #16

How long until they just send armed drones automatically after them based on the software's algorithm? 10-20 years?

Isn't this the sort of thing humans are supposed to be bad at but AI should be good at? An automated justice system wouldn't be biased by human prejudice, ignorance or fear. It doesn't get tired, doesn't feel pain or pity or remorse. It would be able to impartially and accurately process vast amounts of data - far more than a human, and the actions of the drones could be completely auditable. Drones won't lie on the…

>>An automated justice system wouldn't be biased by human prejudice, ignorance or fear

An automated system is written by people and those prejudices can still sneak in...

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/10/upshot/when-algorithms-dis...

http://www.salon.com/2013/02/04/online_advertisings_racism_m...

Re: Police Program Aims to Pinpoint Those Most Likely to Commit Crimes

#25

Post by _nedR »

fijal wrote: post #9

I'm a bit surprised noone brought up minority report. Philip K Dick living a good afterlife :-)

I am more reminded about Psycho Pass (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2379308/) a terrific anime tv series. It basically explores a future in which a person's criminal intent (called their crime coefficient) along with other mental attributes (collectively referred to as one's psycho pass) is judged by the Sibyl system - A system that works so well that it acts as judge, jury and executioner with little human input. It explores a lot of questions such as the role of free will and potential for change in such a world. Interestingly lot of people find it hard to lower their crime coefficients after it 'stabilizes' to a new high (Like how it becomes easier to commit a crime again after having done it once - the same judgement the police make in this article). Also like in this article, people who are victims of abuse and crime often find their crime coefficients inevitably rise.

Don't let the cartoon characters fool you. IMO The complexity and depth of this series (and a lot of sci-fi anime) far surpasses the likes of minority report and hollywood sci-fi in general. My description really doesn't do it justice.

Re: Police Program Aims to Pinpoint Those Most Likely to Commit Crimes

#28

Post by riskneural »

mentat wrote: post #21
jmnicolas wrote: post #15

"In Chicago, the police have developed a “heat list” of 400 people who are considered far more likely than the average person to be involved in violent crime. Factors in compiling that list included their criminal records, social circles and gang connections. Also a factor was whether they had been victims of an assault or a shooting." Yeah and I'm sure that Chicago detectives had absolutely no clue about those 400 p…

Instead of protecting and helping victims, expect them to retaliate and be waiting when they do... Awesome.

In the insurance industry, if you are the victim of a crash you may lose your no claims bonus. The situation is not just as simple as a victim of attack being a victim.

Wouldn't it be the case that, for example, those in the drug business are far more likely to harm their competition than their market?

Re: Police Program Aims to Pinpoint Those Most Likely to Commit Crimes

#29

Post by Wonderdonkey »

I started reading this hopefully. I liked the idea that seemed to be developing at first — reaching out to people before crimes are committed, potentially saving a human being from a life in prison (not to mention saving any potential victims).

Instead, it developed into a story of what amounts to pre-meditated blind rage against any and all associated with a given criminal.

This isn't new. And it's exactly what we don't need more of.

Re: Police Program Aims to Pinpoint Those Most Likely to Commit Crimes

#30

Post by yummyfajitas »

smtddr wrote: post #23
krapp wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Isn't this the sort of thing humans are supposed to be bad at but AI should be good at? An automated justice system wouldn't be biased by human prejudice, ignorance or fear. It doesn't get tired, doesn't feel pain or pity or remorse. It would be able to impartially and accurately process vast amounts of data - far more than a human, and the actions of the drones could be completely auditable. Drones won't lie on the…

>>An automated justice system wouldn't be biased by human prejudice, ignorance or fear An automated system is written by people and those prejudices can still sneak in... http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/10/upshot/when-algorithms-dis... http://www.salon.com/2013/02/04/online_advertisings_racism_m...

Those articles show that a completely inhuman intelligence, with no intrinsic biases of it's own, reproduces the conclusions that allegedly come from human bias. I.e., it turns out that (sometimes) racism and sexism are useful and predictive heuristics.

Of course, being in the NYTimes and Salon, they need to obfuscate this point and appeal to standard mood affiliation.

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