--- title: "Professor Says He Foresees No Issues With His AI That Predicts Crimes Before They Happen" description: "An AI that predicts crime before it happens is being implemented in several US cities — but it's founder says that he forsees no police abuse of the system." date: "2022-08-23" modified: "2022-08-23" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/professor-ai-predicts-crimes" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" - "Future Society" tags: - "crime" - "police" - "police ai" - "the digest" --- # Professor Says He Foresees No Issues With His AI That Predicts Crimes Before They Happen ![An AI that predicts crime before it happens is being implemented in several US cities — but it's founder says that he forsees no police abuse of the system.]() *\Image: Getty Images\* ## Sure, Guy A crime-prognosticating AI now exists, and it's been implemented in a number of American cities. But don't worry, it *definitely* won't be misused by city police forces — at least according to its lead creator, University of Chicago professor Ishanu Chattopadhyay. Chattopadhyay [recently sat down with *BBC Science Focus*]() to discuss the AI system, which, as a study [published in the journal *Human Behavior* claims](), can predict where and when a crime might occur with 80 to 90 percent accuracy. But whether the predictions hold up in the real world, while of course important, isn't necessarily the core question here: really, the question is whether AI can be successfully incorporated into a police force without abuses — and while Chattopadhyay believes his system can be, [AI's track record in policing]() says otherwise. "People have concerns that this will be used as a tool to put people in jail before they commit crimes," Chattopadhyay told *BBC*. "That's not going to happen, as it doesn't have any capability to do that." ## Bad Record The [incorporation of AI]() into policing is hardly new, and neither is the controversy surrounding it — similar software has already been implicated in [wrongful imprisonment]() and even the [wrongful death]() of an unarmed 13-year-old child. More generally, AI across the board is [known to be fickle](), riddled with [racial and otherwise discriminatory biases](), and is notoriously difficult to explain, [even by those who build it](). Speaking to the *BBC*, Chattopadhyay — who says that he hopes his AI will be used to curb crime through social and political measures, not just excessive policing — acknowledged some of these concerns, particularly AI's well-documented racism problems. He believes that other AI systems are just too simplistic, relying far too heavily on information like arrest histories and individual characteristics. In contrast, his system uses only event log data, which he claims helps to "reduce bias as much as possible." "It just predicts an event at a particular location," he added. "It doesn't tell you who is going to commit the event or the exact dynamics or mechanics of the events. It cannot be used in the same way as in the film 'Minority Report.'" Sure. Look, we're never ones to shy away from optimism, but given the record of systemic abuses of similar experimental cop-assisting softwares — not to mention the systemic abuses against vulnerable populations that already exist within American policing, minus any AI — this optimism seems far fetched. **READ MORE:** [*An algorithm can predict future crimes with 90% accuracy. Here’s why the creator thinks the tech won’t be abused*]() \[*BBC Science Focus*\] **More on AI projects we don't need:** *[Cursed Startup Using AI to Remove Call Center Workers' Accents]()* ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()