A House of Lords committee has raised an alert about the use of artificial intelligence tools in the justice system, saying it has serious implications for human rights and civil liberties. The Justice and Home Affairs Committee has sounded the warning in a new report, Technology rules? The advent of new technology in the justice system, in which it calls for the establishment of a mandatory register of algorithms used in relevant tools. It says that without a register it is virtually impossible to find out where and how specific algorithms are used, or for Parliament, the media, academia, and people subject to their use to scrutinise and challenge them. The committee also calls for a duty of candour on the police so that there is full transparency. It says that AI can have huge impacts on people's lives, particularly those in marginalised communities, and without transparency there can be no scrutiny and accountability when things go wrong.

Your son is hanging out with friends behind the VR theatre when someone pulls a knife: they're being robbed. He hits a panic button on his phone, and a nearby drone is instantly dispatched. Less than 30 seconds later it's in the alley, sirens wailing and lights flashing, recording everything to be transmitted to the police. The technology for that scenario exists today. Add a dash of image recognition, or take it another step and put a taser (or a miniaturized version of the heat ray) on the device, and you have the automation of emergency response services.