How can we use artificial intelligence to fight crime in Peru? | INTERVIEW

crime statistics and delinquency reveal that Peru has an alarming problem in terms of citizen security. Between July and September 2021, 78,514 complaints were registered for the commission of crimes at the national level, according to the technical report most recent on Crime, Citizen Security and Violence of the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics (INEI).

To combat this reality that afflicts thousands of Peruvians daily, the artificial intelligence It emerges as an interesting tool for the authorities that watch over the integrity of the citizenry. Since crime does not consist of random events and is linked to a sequence of patterns, this technology is ideal for preventing crimes and even predicting where, when and how they will occur given its ability to process data and carefully scan it

Trade talked with Yamilet Serranodirector of the Data Science career at the University of Engineering and Technology (UTEC)who provided us with more precise details on the application of artificial intelligence in the fight against crime and other topics related to the subject.

—In what specific ways can artificial intelligence be applied in the fight against crime?

Artificial intelligence can be applied both for crime detection and as part of crime prevention. In the case of detection, for example, sensors can be used in certain places in the city and before the Police arrive from a person’s call, these sensors launch an alarm to the nearest police institution, marking by themselves an emergency. On the other hand, to prevent a crime, artificial intelligence algorithms are used to predict the most likely places where a crime can occur since it is not random. Actually, this is a sequence of patterns and the AI ​​is perfect to recognize these patterns exactly.

—Which cities or countries in the world already apply Artificial Intelligence or other technologies to mitigate crime?

Now there is no country at the forefront of technology that does not apply it. In our case, the National Police of Peru has drones and smart cameras, but what happens is that, compared to other places, the institutions are more dedicated to using hardware than to creating software with artificial intelligence that fits their needs.

In the United States, the government has worked with industry to create programs for the detection of crimes by organized gangs, they identify with great accuracy which people on the scene are part of the gang and which are just witnesses based on their behavior. It is even possible to identify which gang has perpetrated the crime because it has a sequence of behavior or because of the weapon that has been used.

In the case of the United Kingdom, a software system has been created to predict the frequency with which a person will be the victim of a crime and they have used machine learning techniques to combat terrorist propaganda on social networks through sources of information. text, images or video with a 94% success rate.

Japan has used it at the Tokyo Olympics through security cameras, detecting abandoned objects that could be potential dangers, and through tracking the behavior of people potentially suspected of doing something. The police approach these individuals ahead of time to prevent a crime.

India uses AI for the rites of its culture. When such a crowd gathers, the system is used to control mass movement and traffic. In addition, pattern detectors and facial recognition are added. And so we could mention several others such as Singapore that already implement artificial intelligence within their efforts.

—What are the requirements for a city to correctly apply Artificial Intelligence as a resource to curb crime?

From the academic point of view, we need to train professionals for the present and the future. Technology is advancing and the professionals of tomorrow should not only be users of it, but also creators. This is the great difference between our country and others in Latin America with the powers mentioned above. They are involved in scientific development and are not just users. To the use of a drone or other technological equipment, the implementation of an algorithm that improves its operation should be added.

From the point of view of the Government, we need a more global vision of the amount of data that we generate and to look for information that helps us make decisions. When the State sees the need for its data to be integrated, that all decision-making entities should have access to general dashboards updated in real time, with movements and heat maps, or even reports that reveal how many people are being born and passing away at the last minute so that they can choose with greater knowledge of the situation, I think we are going to move forward.

At the government level, we are still working with the island format and generating data that is only important in a circle. The wonderful thing about applying data science -including Artificial Intelligence- is that we have a massive amount of information and from that we can find knowledge.

—What problems could the use of Artificial Intelligence generate for crime prediction?

They clearly exist as in everything we human beings do. The computer will finally do exactly what we ask it to do and the decision factor will always be the human.

We know that criminals are not rookies and are recurrent before police entities for what. If we have access to the database with your fingerprints or images, we could use the cameras of the shopping centers and citizen security to detect them. But, the algorithms are not 100% safe, it needs someone to monitor it to avoid errors such as racism or discrimination, even if the individual in question left his misdeeds behind and is trying to reintegrate into society. The machine will always serve as support for decision making.

—Could the human factor in the fight against crime be completely eliminated or would this only generate risks for citizens?

Fortunately, no. The main objective of AI is to make the machine intelligent and humans are the intelligent ones: we greet each other, eat and, above all, make decisions. Machines cannot replace humans, they are only fast and process millions of data in seconds, something that humans cannot do. However, the one who creates the machine and the algorithms is still the human.

Therefore, it is important not to be afraid of technological advances. The professionals of the future will be the ones called to propose new technologies and responses to needs that arise in the years to come. The AI ​​is already here and it is not going to disappear, it will only advance.

We must also highlight the importance of being connected since, in Peru, there are places that lack connection and the opportunities are fewer. For this reason, we must put an end to the myth that technology is a monster and try to embrace it, always believing that we humans are the intelligent beings and that computers are just a means.