Independent Advisory Group on Emerging Technologies publishes report
Fri 3 March 2023
Burkhard Schafer, Professor of Computational Legal Theory, contributed to the final report of the Independent Advisory Group on Emerging Technologies (ETIAG) that has been published this week.
The ETIAG’s independent review was established in 2020 by Justice Secretary, Humza Yousaf in response to a report by the Scottish Parliament’s Sub-Committee on Policing about Police Scotland’s use of digital triage devices (the highly contested ‘cyber kiosks’).
The group was chaired by Napier University’s Professor Liz Aston, Director of the Scottish Institute for Policing Research (SIPR), with academics from across the SIPR member Universities contributing to the work alongside policing, regulatory and civil society bodies.
Among its 18 recommendations are the introduction of statutory codes of practice to provide greater clarity and safeguards around the future use of live facial recognition and certain artificial intelligence (AI) applications. The review took a broad perspective on policing technology, including electronic databases, biometric identification, next-generation surveillance, and predictive policing, considering their impact on human rights, ethical best practice and public confidence in policing. While it did not find significant legislative gaps around police use of emerging technologies, the report suggests new laws may be needed for robots and similar autonomous systems in security applications, if their use for enforcement purposes is considered in future.
The Group also recommends the inclusion of human rights impact assessments in any business case for any new technology, publicly sharing of the legal basis for using technologies, as well as relevant complaints processes, the routine collection and publication of data on the equality and human rights impacts. Statutory codes of practice can further increase public confidence in the use of these technologies
Justice Secretary Keith Brown said: “Scotland has a first-rate police force, and its officers and staff deserve my continued gratitude for keeping our communities safe. That excellence is evident now and will remain so as we face a future where emerging technologies have real potential to shape policing for the better.
“However, as the report points out, it is important that in adopting new technology, Police Scotland must do so in a way that secures public confidence. That is why a robust rights-based, ethical approach to using new technology is so vital. This valued report makes important suggestions in this significant and interesting sphere which will be given careful consideration.”