Policing expert Ivan Sun thinks that robot officers will be patrolling the streets of the UK in the next few years.
Robot police officers could be patrolling UK streets in the next three years, a policing expert has claimed.
Up to 1,000 officers in Britain are set to be polled on whether they would trust AI-powered bots to work alongside them – either as “service” droids to assist members of the public with inquiries or as “crime-fighting machines” capable of chasing and apprehending suspects.
Researchers are also keen to see how supportive police officers would be of using military-style “smart” helmets that could help them track down and identify suspects, record video footage and share information.
Boffins argue that robot police officers are on their way to becoming a reality as forces around the globe deal with a shortage of manpower.
Ivan Sun, a professor in the department of sociology and criminal justice at the University of Delaware, said at a recent science conference: “Engaging in the use of force, engaging in high-speed chases – it’s not in our imagination, it’s coming up… The sky is really the limit.”
In a presentation titled Robot Cops on Patrol: The Next Generation of Operational Policing, he added: “In a robbery, for instance, (robots) could really take control of the scene. They could chase you for five miles and they won’t get tired.
“At the same time, while they are chasing the suspect, they can scan the suspect’s bio and characteristics… From 100m away they can know if (the suspect) has a weapon in their possession. A human officer would not be able to do that.”
Police forces in China have already tested sending humanoid robots out on patrol with human officers to gauge the public reaction.
In a project named Intelligent Police Unit R001, a number of Chinese forces have started formally deploying AI robots for traffic control and are designed to issue warnings to drivers who jump red lights and cyclists who ride on pavements.
They are even capable of issuing fines.
Sun claims it will take another three to five years for robot officers to be out on full patrols in China and predicts that Britain and other Western nations will quickly follow suit.
He argues that robots “can reduce the danger and unpredictability” in potentially violent situations in a similar manner to how they are sent in to make initial checks when suspected bombs are found.
Sun suspects that British officers will “pay more attention to privacy issues and legal issues than the Chinese officers”, who operate in a more authoritarian society, but thinks they will be supportive of the use of AI and robotics in policing.
Robot police officers could soon be patrolling the streets of Britain
