Computer program can now predict if you will commit a crime

Computers are getting better at predicting human behavior, and now they can predict which people are most likely to commit a violent crime. Such a system may seem science fiction, but as researchers have discovered, it now exists in reality.

LOS ANGELES, CA (California Network) - A team of scientists have demonstrated that a computer can predict who will commit a violent crime with better accuracy than humans. They have detailed their findings in a report that was published last February.

The idea of predicting who will commit a crime has previously been explored in science fiction. In the film Minority Report, psychics predict when a person is about to commit a crime, even if the suspect themselves isn't aware of it. Police then arrest the individual for "pre-crime."

While the film is science fiction and it explores questions of justice, the real thing is being developed now. Police have limited resources. Knowing which offenders are most likely to reoffend, or what circumstances lead to a crime, they can find new ways to intervene or interact to prevent crimes from occurring.

Scientists in the study examined people arrested for domestic violence. They then added other data they felt would be relevant to determine who would commit a new offense. The computer provided a result. When compared to predictions made by humans, the computer was significantly more accurate.

Such technology could help police to determine how to respond to a person and what sort of force to use. In fact, such technology is already in use.

In the city of Fresno, California, police are using a prototype system called "Beware," that assigns a threat level to a suspect before they pull up in front of a house. Police can then tailor their approach accordingly. The system pulls data not just from police records, but also from a deep internet search which includes property records, social media posts, and more. Nobody will say exactly how the software works because it is a trade secret.

We are now living in a world where computers and artificial intelligence are beginning to assume formerly human tasks that utilized human judgment. This is frightening because computer algorithms don't yet have a variable for intrinsically human traits like compassion.

Human calculus can be fallible, but it is still distinctly human. Even a wrong decision can be understood if it was made with the right intentions.  What happens however, when computers are trusted to make decisions once formerly reserved to humans? What happens when those decisions affect your freedom or even your life?