LORINC: Trying to police the way cops use AI-based investigation tools - Spacing Toronto

Late last month, the Toronto Police Services Board released a new policy meant to guide the agency's future procurement and use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies for law enforcement. The 4,800-word document, now posted on the TPSB's website, is the product of a fairly extensive canvas of public and expert opinion, and said to be the first such governance framework for any Canadian law enforcement agency. It consists of a general statement about guiding principles and an articulation of the policy's purpose, as well as 21 separate operational provisions divided into four broad categories: review and assessment of new AI technologies; board approval and reporting prior to procurement, utilization and deployment; monitoring and reporting; and continuous review. As with all matters policing, the board -- which consists of elected and appointed civilians -- sets the policy at a high level, while the chief of police is responsible for carrying it out and then reporting back to the TPSB on how things are going. On paper, an elegant arrangement, more often honoured in the breach than the observance, as the saying goes.